A Long Time Coming
by KayAKALilWrestleGrl
Summary: Chris and Stephanie have waited a very long time to be together? Is it worth the wait or will Vince and Hunter's plan destroy them? STORY COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

Chris Jericho opened the door to the arena in a rush. He wasn't late by the company standards but he was late by his own standards. He always liked to make sure he had plenty of time to get ready. It was something that he had promised to do every since he had been hired by the WWF. WCW had never appreciated him and he wanted to make sure that he had earned his keep wherever he worked. He let out a deep breath and headed for the locker rooms with his bag thrown across his shoulder.

Ever since the whole story line with Trish, he could see the baby face turn coming. He didn't mind it; it really didn't matter to him either way; as long as the crowd reacted to him, he would be whatever they wanted him to be. To him, that was one of the easiest things about the job. He could be a heel or a baby face. It was actually very easy for him to either or. However, he would be lying if he said that he enjoyed working with Trish more than he had enjoyed working with Stephanie.

Chris smiled to himself as he found himself going back in time. He had absolutely loved working with Stephanie. They had such great chemistry together with little or no effort. They were such good friends but hardly anybody knew that. They thought it added more to their story line back then if they pulled a Bret and Owen Hart; being enemies in public to make the story line seem as real as possible at all times.

He couldn't help but smile as he walked in and saw Jay Reso practicing his character in the mirror. He shook his head and stood quietly in the corner observing one of his best friends make an ass clown out of himself. He couldn't help but wonder how in the world Adam had put up with Jay for so long before they were split up.

"Yeah, that's right Chris," Jay said with a cocky arrogant look on his face. "I'm the man; I'm the only _real_ man here in the WWF that could handle what Trish is dishing out."

"Oh really?" Chris said out loud smiling as he watched Jay jump.

"Shit dude, don't do that," Jay said grabbing his chest as if he was having a heart attack. "Don't you know that it's not good for people to be spooked like that."

"Oh please," Chris said rolling his eyes. "You know for you to be a Canadian, you sure act like an American."

Jay looked over at Chris and grinned. "I guess that is what happens when you move to America, you just adept to their strange but wonderfully exhilarating culture."

"I guess I'll have to give you that one," Chris said knowing he couldn't argue too much. As a Canadian living in America himself, there were perks in the United States that couldn't be found anywhere else. However, he would always be a Canadian at heart. He tossed his bag down on the bench and unzipped it looking for his ring attire.

"So, Trish and I get to humiliate you some more tonight it looks like," Jay said rubbing his hands together in glee. "You know, I could get used to this."

"Watch yourself _Junior_," Chris said rolling his eyes. "You know I'm the _King of Bling Bling_ and a _sexy beast_. You couldn't compete with me on my _worst_ day."

Jay chuckled to himself as he silently agreed with Chris. He knew he couldn't agree out loud because he would never hear the end of it. He also knew that Chris had pushed for this story line with him and for that, he was grateful. They silently got dressed in the ring attire when there was a knock on the locker room door.

"Come in," Jay yelled wondering why they had knocked instead of walking on in.

Once the door opened, he knew why. Stephanie McMahon walked in and Jay couldn't help but notice Chris's eyes light up at the sight of her. _"Wow, I think Chris might actually have_ a _crush on Stephanie_," he thought to himself.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Stephanie said as she walked into the locker room.

"Yo Steph, looking pretty good there," Jay said as he leered at her hoping to get a rise out of Chris. He had kind of suspected that Chris had a crush on Stephanie for a while and he needed a way to confirm his suspicions. _"What better way to confirm than flirt with her in front of_ _Chris,"_ he thought to himself.

If looks could kill, Jay would have been dead on the spot. It didn't take long to notice the irritated look on Chris's face. He couldn't believe that Jay would look at Stephanie that way, let alone talk to her like that. It didn't seem to matter that she was the boss's daughter.

"Hey Junior, show some respect," Chris said shooting Jay a mean look. He turned and smiled at Stephanie, his eyes twinkling as he smiled. "Hey Stephanie, how's it going?"

"I'm doing good Chris, thanks," Stephanie said smiling at who she considered to be one of her best friends. She then turned and looked at Jay with one of her evil smirks on her face. "You know Jay, I could always go talk to daddy and have you put on Sunday Night Heat."

Jay swallowed the lump in his throat thinking, _"Oh shit, I've done it now."_ He smiled an embarrassed smile at Stephanie and said, "I'm sorry Stephanie, I don't know what I was thinking. Let's try this again. Hey Stephanie, how are you?" Jay held his hand out to shake.

Stephanie tried to keep the smirk on her face but just couldn't do it. Jay looked as though he was about to piss in his pants, and as funny as that would have been, she just couldn't torture him like that. She reached out, shook his hand, smiled at him and said, "I'm doing fine Jay. Thanks for asking."

"Alrighty then, I think I'm just going to see if I can find Trish to go over a few lines with her. You two have fun," Jay said rushing out of the room as if his ass was on fire.

Stephanie looked at Chris and they both busted out laughing at the same time. She shook her head wondering what on earth had gotten into Jay's head but decided that he just temporarily went insane. "So how are you doing Chris?"

"Much better now that I've seen you," Chris said walking over to stand in front of her. "Hey, where's my hug?"

Stephanie couldn't stop the sudden increase in her heartbeat as she heard Chris say that to her. She had been in love with Chris for such a long time. Sometimes she thought he felt the same way and then he would pull back for no reason. It was one of the reasons that she didn't come around as much as she used to. _"Well that and the fact that I was fired by my own father,"_ she thought to herself as she walked up to Chris with her arms open.

Chris wrapped his arms around Stephanie and closed his eyes basking in being close to her. It had been so long since they had even seen each other. Stephanie had her eyes closed slowly rubbing her hand up and down his back. When they reluctantly pulled away, they both opened their mouth to speak.

Chris laughed nervously along with Stephanie. He held up his hand and said, "Ladies first."

"Well, I was wondering if maybe, if you're not busy after the show, you'd like to grab a bite to each and catch up with each other," Stephanie said her facing blushing beet red. She adverted her eyes and looked down at the floor hoping that if he said no, he wouldn't see how much it would hurt her feelings.

"I would love to," Chris said taking his finger and gently lifting her face up. He placed his hand on her cheek hoping to keep her looking at him while he answered again. "I would absolutely love to."

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. She really didn't think he would go with her. Oh she knew that he might say yes and then say something like, "Oh wait, I've got that thing with so and so." She was so ready for that but she wasn't ready for him to actually say yes.

"Ok, what do you say we meet here when you get done," Stephanie said with a small smile.

"That would be great. I'm up first tonight so let's say we meet here," Chris said looking at his watch, "in about 45 minutes."

"Sure, I'll see you then," Stephanie said turning to walk out of the locker room. She turned around and looked at him wishing she were brave enough to do what she really wanted to do. Instead she threw up a few fingers and walked out of the door.

"You big chicken," she thought to herself as she walked backstage. She knew she was taking the chance of majorly pissing her dad off but she really didn't care. _"What could he_ _possibly_ _do, fire me? He's already done that,"_ she thought to herself as she made her way to the women's locker room.

Chris stood there totally amazed that Stephanie had asked him to go and hang out with her. It had been so long since he had seen her and now he was going to have quality time with her. He couldn't contain the grin on his face as he looked in the mirror. "I think tonight will be pretty interesting," he said to himself smoothing his hair down a little. "Pretty interesting indeed."

"You've got to be kidding, right?" Trish asked while her and Jay was discussing what had happened earlier.

"I'm dead serious. I think Chris likes Stephanie and I think it's vice versa," Jay said wrapping his arm around his 'make-believe' girlfriend's shoulder. "This could be a good thing for the both of them."

"Or it can be a total and complete disaster," Trish said thinking of how Vince may react to those two dating. Vince was a strange and complicated individual. Granted, he had beaten his daughter and fired her but he still loved her.

"Let's not think that way," Jay said hugging her to him as they walked down the hall. "Let's try to think of this positively. What can we do to help them get together?"

"Wait a second," Trish said stopping in the hallway. She looked at Jay and saw that gleam in his eye and groaned mentally. "We are not getting involved at all. The last time you tried to set up somebody, you set up Stacy and Test. You know how long that lasted."

"Yeah but it's different this time. It's Chris and Stephanie. I really do think those two like each other A LOT. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't at least tried to push them in the right direction," Jay said rubbing his chin and thinking.

Trish reached up and grabbed his hand off of his chin. When Jay was thinking that serious, it always had disastrous result. She also knew that Jay was finally getting a push and now was not the time to jeopardize his career. "Look, let's just give them a little time and see what happens. If those two like each other as much as you think they do, then they are not going to need our help anyway."

"But," Jay started to say.

"No butts Jay. Look, you are finally getting the push that you've wanted for so long. There is no reason to hurt your career by being stupid. If they are meant to be together, then they will be. You have got to stay out of this," Trish said feeling as though she was a child scolding her only spoiled child.

"But," Jay whined again.

Trish took her finger and placed it on Jay's lips. "Ssshhh, just leave well enough alone for now. Besides, this is Stephanie's first night back since she had been fired." Trish looked at her watch, "Oh shit, we've got to go. We're going to be late." She grabbed Jay by the arm as they went running to the gorilla position to await their cue hoping that she had changed Jay's mind. If not, she had a funny feeling that things would not go well, not well at all.

Chris had just finished taking his shower when Jay walked into the locker room. He couldn't help but be glad to have been put in a program with one of his closest friends. Granted, it was more fun to Chris when he was evil but he kind of liked this whole broken-hearted story line that he had been given. It gave him a chance to show the world that there was more to Chris Jericho than what met the eye.

"Hey man, I didn't hit you too hard did I?" Jay asked with a smirk on his face.

"Dude, please," Chris said rolling his eyes. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried."

"Now that's an interesting thought. I couldn't hurt you even if I tried. Hmm, you know Chris, that makes me really want to try," Jay said walking up to Chris.

"Well, Junior, give it your best shot," Chris said holding his chin out and tapping his finger. "Come on, you know you want to."

Jay looked at his friend and grinned. He started dancing around as if he were boxing while Chris stood there with a completely bored look on his face. He air punched a few times before slapping Chris on the back. "Dude, you know I couldn't do that to you."

Chris looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, and donkeys can fly and oh yeah, pigs can fly too."

Jay's eyes widened at the sarcastic tone in Chris' voice. He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. The only time Chris was really sarcastic like that was when he was nervous about something. Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth and said, "Chris, man, are you ok?"

"Of course I am you ass clown, why wouldn't I be?" Chris said turning around to head to his locker. He was so nervous inside he felt like he could grow up. He knew he shouldn't be but he wanted so much more from Stephanie than just her friendship.

Jay's eyes narrowed as he watched his best friend walk away from him. His mother had tried his best to teach him to think before he spoke. Unfortunately for Jay, this was one of those times he should have listened to his mother better. "By chance, would this have something to do with Stephanie?"

Chris froze for a second while buttoning his shirt. He tried to act nonchalant as he finished buttoning his shirt. "What makes you say that?"

Jay smiled as he realized that something was up between the two of them. _"I knew it!"_ he thought to himself as he finished watching Chris get dressed. He couldn't leave it alone. "Chris, do you have a thing for Stephanie?"

"Huh, what?" Chris asked trying to cover up the nervousness in his voice.

"I knew it man! I knew it! I knew you had a thing for her. I am the man!" Jay said flexing the muscles in his arm. He looked at Chris and saw the tell-tell blush creeping up his face. "Dude, don't even try and deny it, it's all over your face."

Chris swallowed hard and tried his best to hide the embarrassment that he was feeling. He thought he had covered himself pretty well. _"Evidently not well enough,"_ he thought to himself as he tried to figure out what to do next. He cleared his throat and said, "What in the hell is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?"

Jay just laughed out loud and sat down on the bench. He shook his head at the way Chris was lying to him and Jay knew he was lying to him. He kept the smug look on his face and said, "Keep lying like that Chris, if it makes you feel better."

One look in Jay's eyes and Chris knew that he couldn't cover it up anymore. He plopped down beside of him, let out a deep breath and said, "I would appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself."

"Why didn't you tell me man? You know, I have always been quiet with things that need to be kept quiet. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jay asked.

"What so you could rag me about having the hots for the boss' daughter?" Chris said rolling his eyes. "Look, I know I have feelings for her and I think she might have feelings for me."

"Dude, if the way she looked at you earlier is any indication, she so has feelings for you," Jay said in his superior tone.

"You really think so?" Chris asked intrigued by what Jay was saying.

"Totally, I saw the way both of your eyes lit up when you saw each other. Hell, it almost blinded me it was so bright," Jay said. Jay knew that he had to convince Chris that he needed to ask her out. He was going to regret not asking her one-day and as his best friend, he had a duty to make sure that Chris did what needed to be done. "Chris, you need to ask her out and you need to do it now man. Who knows when she'll be back again?"

"As a matter of fact," Chris said looking at his watch, "she should be here any minute."

"You mean you asked her out?" Jay said with a shocked look on his face.

"No, not exactly," Chris said opening his mouth to explain. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Stephanie walked into the locker room with a smile that radiated her whole face. She was so happy that she was going to be spending time with Chris that she felt as though she was walking on air. "Are you ready to go?"

"For you," Chris said grabbing his bag off of the bench, "I'm always ready."

As Chris and Stephanie walked out of the locker room, Jay sat there with his mouth open wide and a shocked expression on his face. He sat there for quite a few minutes in shock before Trish came running into the locker room coming to an abrupt halt. She was getting ready to tell him what she saw and couldn't help but wonder if he had anything to do with. She sat down beside him, waving her hand in front of his face. "Jay, Jay, are you ok?"

"They're going out," Jay said his mind completely blank other than for Chris and Stephanie.

"Oh no, did you get them two to go out? I told you to mind your own business," Trish said watching Jay's push go down the drain.

"What? No, they're going out on their own. I didn't say a word," Jay said his mind still trying to comprehend the fact that he didn't have to do anything to get them together.

Trish smiled and said, "See, I told you it would work out without your help."


	2. 2

Disclaimer: Sorry I didn't put this on the first chapter but I own nothing except my imagination;-) This story is purely fictional; I have no knowledge of any of this being real anywhere other than my mind!

A little special note: This story is dedicated to Jodi: You've been a great friend and an inspiration for this story. After all, you begged and pleaded with me to write a Smoochy fic! I finally did and it's all because of you. Thanks for the support and friendship!

A/N: Just a few notes to clarify things a bit: Please remember this is my first fic that I have ever posted anywhere before now! nascar girl: First off, thanks for the review;-) Trish & Jay are dating; sorry I didn't make that more clearer. Lucyzigg: Thanks so much; I love your stories and I'm so glad that you are enjoying this one. Mysteree: Thanks for the review. Sorry about the font; hope this chapter is better on your eyes. Nina: The Queen of the Smoochy Dreamers reviewing my story; I'm more honored than you will ever know! Thanks so much for your kind words; they are very much appreciated! Y2J Chris Jericho: Yes I know it is the WWE now but I can't seem to let go of the past;-) and finally to Jodi: thanks for being my first reviewer, you'll never know how much it meant to me!

That said, on to the story and their first date, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

"So where do you want to eat tonight Princess?" Chris asked as they walked out into the parking lot towards his rental car.

"Someplace quiet and low key," Stephanie said looking at Chris. "I just want a nice quiet evening with you."

"Well, you know, being quiet, is not by specialty," Chris said winking at her.

Chris unlocked the driver's side door and then walked over and unlocked the passenger side door. He opened the door for Stephanie and waited for her to sit down before shutting it. He then walked to his side, opened the door, and sat down. "So, anything in particular you want to eat?"

"_You,"_ Stephanie thought to herself. She cleared her throat and said, "Wherever you want to go is fine by me. All I want is quiet and low key."

"Quiet and low key, it shall be," Chris said cranking the car and putting it into drive.

As they drove down the road, each was lost in their own thoughts. Of course, their thoughts were on each other but they didn't know that. Chris couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Stephanie thinking how beautiful she was. He smiled to himself as he thought of the perfect place for them to eat.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Stephanie was looking at the restaurant, or at least what she thought was a restaurant. At first she thought he was joking but then she saw him pull the keys out of the ignition. She glanced back at the building they were in front of and mentally shuddered. It didn't really look like a restaurant and the question showed in her eyes when she glanced over at Chris.

"It's ok, Steph," Chris said grinning from ear to ear. "Wait until we get inside, you'll love it. You _did_ say you want something low key."

"Yes, I did say that but I am not sure that I meant _this_ low key," she said with the doubt showing on her face.

"Oh ye of little faith," Chris said as he got out of the car. He walked over to Stephanie's side, opened the car door, and held his hand out for her. As she got out of the car, she couldn't help but think of the times that she thought chivalry was dead. "_Boy was I wrong_," she thought to herself as she smiled at Chris.

Chris stood back and shut the door watching Stephanie out of the corner of his eyes. He knew she had doubts; it was written all over her face but he couldn't wait until he got her inside. The outside may not have looked like much but the inside _so_ made up for the outside, especially the food. He held out his arm and said, "My lady."

Stephanie quickly grabbed his arm determined to see this through. Of course, she still wasn't sure about the restaurant but she was with Chris and she _did_ trust him. Granted it had been a while since they had seen each other but that didn't matter. It was still Chris that she was with as she shyly smiled at him as they walked into the restaurant.

"Oh my," Stephanie said quietly as she walked in.

The soft lighting in the restaurant gave it a very romantic feel. There were candles on all the tables making shapes on the walls that were absolutely breathtaking, as if gold fireflies were flying all around leaving fairy dust in their wake. She couldn't help but admire the burgundy chairs with dark oak wood that looked like they came out of King Henry's castle himself. The walls were painted a soft ivory color with dark oak trim. The chandeliers looked like they were made of gold and crystal, hung all through out the restaurant to give the place a truly romantic feel.

"So, changed your mind, eh," Chris said with a smug look on his face. Suddenly a very attractive older man came up fussing over Chris.

"Ah Christopher, how nice to see you my friend," the man said with a heavy accent that Stephanie couldn't quite put her finger on. "And you've brought a lady friend, my lady," he said as he took Stephanie's hand and gently kissed her hand.

"Antonio, my friend, it's been way too long," Chris said grinning from ear to ear. Antonio turned to look at Chris with a knowing look in his eyes. Chris nodded his head so slightly to which Antonio's smile seemed to get even wider.

"Come my friends, welcome to Tony's, the finest Italian restaurant on the East Coast. Please, follow me," Antonio said leading them to a secluded booth in the far corner of the restaurant.

"Thank you my friend," Chris said as he waited for Stephanie to sit down before he did. Stephanie was still in awe of what had to be the most romantic place that she had ever seen.

"Anything for you Christopher, now would you like a menu or do you still trust me my friend?" Antonio said with a knowing look.

"What do you say Stephanie? Do you want to look at a menu or let Antonio decide for you," Chris asked.

"Well, I love anything Italian so by all means Antonio, take it away," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear.

"Aww Christopher, this one's a keeper," Antonio said winking at Christopher before rushing off.

"Sorry about that, Antonio is not used to seeing me with a beautiful woman," Chris said the embarrassment on his face evident.

"Wow, did I just hear you call me beautiful? Are you feeling alright?" Stephanie said reaching over and checking his forehead to see if he had a fever. "Nope, no temperature. Wow, what a change from a filthy, dirty, disgusting, brutal, bottom feeding, trash bag ho that you were calling me not too long ago."

"Now Stephanie, you know I never meant that, even though you have to admit the crowd loved it," Chris said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, they _really_ enjoyed that, maybe a little _too_ much," Stephanie said rolling her eyes with a smile. "However, I have to say, I enjoyed it."

"You really enjoyed me calling you a filthy, disgusting..," Chris said while Stephanie held up her hand stopping him in mid-sentence.

"No, I can't say that I enjoyed you calling me _that_ but I _did _enjoy working with you," Stephanie said shaking her head. "Although, right now at this moment, _why_ I did, I have no idea."

"Oh you know you want _this_ Sexy Beast," Chris said taking his hand as to emphasize his body. He watched as she blushed which was really unlike Stephanie. "I'm just kidding. I really enjoyed working with you too."

Chris and Stephanie sat there just looking at each other wondering what the other was thinking. As they started to continue their conversation a waiter came over with some salad and breadsticks to start off their meal. As they took their napkins and place them in their laps to begin their late night dinner, Antonio came over to the table carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Christopher, I thought you would enjoy this wine with your dinner," Antonio said as he opened the wine and began to pour just a little into Chris's glass. "But of course, it must meet with your approval first." He handed Chris the red wine to taste to which Chris rolled his eyes.

"Antonio, you know I trust your judgement," Chris said noticing the irritated look on Antonio's face. "However, since I do have company tonight, it would probably be a good idea to let me taste it first." Chris took a sip of the surprisingly sweet wine. He set the glass down and said, "Perfect Antonio, please continue."

Antonio smiled as he poured Stephanie's glass. As he handed her the glass, he couldn't help but notice how really beautiful this young lady was. He had known Christopher for a long time and was pleasantly surprised when he entered the restaurant with the young lady. Of course, when he looked at Christopher with questioning eyes asking him if this was the young lady that he had been enamoured with for such a long time, he couldn't stop the grin at finding out after all this time that this _was_ the young lady in question.

Stephanie took a sip of the wine letting the flavor burst in her mouth. She smiled at Antonio, who was finishing pouring Chris's glass, and said, "My goodness, I don't think I've ever had a wine this good. Can you tell me what kind it is?"

Antonio set the bottle down and grinned. "I could but you won't find it in any store. You see, one of my guilty little pleasures, is that I own my own vineyard. It's a passion of mine, if you will. No, I'm sorry, you won't find this wine anywhere else in the world but here."

"Then, I'll just have to make sure I come back here more often," Stephanie said smiling from ear to ear.

"I expected no less, if you will excuse me, I must check on the rest of your meal," Antonio said bowing and quickly walking away.

"Wow, how did you find this place?" Stephanie asked as she tore apart a piece of breadstick and placed it in her mouth.

Chris sat there dumbfounded as he watched her facial expression eating the breadstick. She had closed her eyes as if savoring the moment and the look on her face was pure pleasure. Chris quickly cleared his throat as if to remind himself that he was in a public place and Stephanie probably wouldn't enjoy the blatant look of lust on his face.

"Well, to be totally honest, I broke down right on the street about five years ago. I walked up to this place expecting the worst and got the best. Antonio had just started his restaurant, I walked in to ask to use the phone, and the rest, is as they say, history."

"Wow, I don't think I have ever had breadsticks this good," Stephanie said savoring each and every bite.

"Wait until you try the salad. He makes his own Italian dressing that is the best that I have ever tasted. To be honest, I never liked Italian dressing until I had Antonio's. Of course, his is the only Italian dressing that I will eat because, let's face it, the others just pale in comparison," Chris said as he picked up his fork to dig into the salad.

"You've made me want to try the salad now," Stephanie said setting her breadstick down and picking up her fork. She moved the salad around a minute making sure the dressing was covering the salad and dug in.

The look of pure surprise and bliss on Stephanie's face caused Chris to sit up straight. His pants had just gotten extremely tight in his crotch area as he thought of how that was how Stephanie would look when she was caught up in passion. _"Football, football,"_ he thought to himself hoping it would help but then Stephanie had taken another bite of salad. He finally decided that this was his punishment. He had no other choice but to sit there and hope that things calmed down shortly.

"Oh my goodness, I don't think I have ever tasted anything like this in my entire life," Stephanie said almost moaning as she took another bite. She looked over at Chris and noticed the tight look on his face. "Are you ok?"

Chris grabbed his wineglass and before taking a sip, said, "Of course." He took a long sip of wine and set his glass back down on the table. "I'm at Antonio's with one of my closest friends, how could I not be ok?"

"You're just too sweet," Stephanie said smiling at him. Unable to stop herself, she reached over and gently kissed him on the cheek, surprised by the blush coming on his cheeks. "Why Chris, I do believe you're blushing."

"No I'm not, I never, _EVER_ blush," Chris said as he felt the warmth of his face. "It's just really hot in here."

"No it's not, it's actually very comfortable. I can't believe this," Stephanie said with a full grin on her face. She placed her hand under her chin and tapped her fingers on the side of her face with a look of mischief in her eyes. "I wonder what people would think to know that Stephanie McMahon, the _slut_ of the WWF, had just made the _King of the World_ blush."

"You so did _NOT_ make me blush," Chris said with an irritated look on his face.

"Oh yes, _I_ did," Stephanie said unable to pass this opportunity up.

"No, _you_ didn't."

"Yes, _I_ did."

They were so wrapped up in arguing with each other that neither noticed Antonio rushing over with their food. He stood there for a few seconds watching them banter back and forth. When he had first thought they were arguing, he grabbed their food and rushed over before they did something horrible. As he came closer to the table he realized they were playing. He stood there and finally cleared his throat to let them know he was there.

"Sorry Antonio, just having a little fun," Chris said the red on his face magnified by ten with Antonio standing there.

"As long as you two are enjoying yourselves, who am I to interfere? I just thought you would like your food now," Antonio said winking at Chris as he set the plates down on the table. "How is everything so far?"

"Antonio, it's just absolutely wonderful," Stephanie gushed unable to keep the stars out of her eyes. "I don't I have ever had Italian that was this exquisite before."

"Oh thank you Stephanie, I'm so glad you are enjoying your meal. Of course, the best is yet to come, wait until dessert," Antonio said winking at her as he set their food on the table. "If you need anything, just ask otherwise, I will leave you alone until you're ready for dessert."

Antonio walked off while Stephanie and Chris was looking at the plates piled with the wonderful food that he had brought. For Chris, he had brought lasagna with a side of spaghetti while Stephanie had chicken parmigiana with a side of spaghetti as well.

"Well, Stephanie, are you ready for the ultimate Italian experience?" Chris said grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm so ready for this, you just have no idea," Stephanie said looking at the food with unabashed hunger. "I just know this is going to be great." She started to grab her plate when Chris placed his hand on her wrist.

Electric shock waves pulsed thru the both of them. Their eyes widened just a tad bit as each of them tried to hide what was happening between them. Chris cleared his throat and spoke, "Let me get that, the plate is really hot."

Stephanie smiled as she pushed her salad over to the side. She wasn't finished with it; she wasn't quite ready to give it up either. She watched as Chris picked up her plate and placed it in front of her. She smiled as she picked up her fork and started with the spaghetti first.

"Wow," Stephanie said after taking her first bite.

"Told you it was good," Chris said smiling at her. "Would you like to try some of my lasagna?"

"Please," Stephanie said watching as he put a little on his fork. He held the fork out and Stephanie gently took it off with her mouth. Her eyes lit up like the forth of July and she smiled as she was chewing. "Chris, that was wonderful."

"He is the best at what he does," Chris said taking a bite of spaghetti.

For a few minutes, all that was heard from the table was moans coming from the both of them. The food was absolutely mouth watering, delicious, and so tender that it literally melted in their mouths the second it was put it in. After a few minutes of eating, it hit Stephanie that she had not offered any of her chicken parmigiana to Chris and silently chided herself not doing so.

"Here, try some of this," Stephanie said holding a bite of the chicken parmigiana on her fork. 

"Ok," Chris said gently taking it off of her fork with his mouth. He chewed with a look of pure pleasure, much like Stephanie's was just a few scant minutes before.

Stephanie swallowed hard and tried to calm her racing heart. Watching Chris eat like that was absolutely tearing her up inside. The look on his face could only be described as pure bliss and her mind couldn't help but wonder if that's how his face would look while making love. When that thought popped in her head, she mentally tried to force it out but couldn't do it.

"Wow, that was great," Chris said looking at Stephanie. He noticed her eyes were bright and her skin was flushed. He arched an eyebrow at her but decided not to say anything; no need to embarrass her. Besides, he had embarrassed her enough in front of live crowds enough to last a lifetime.

They had finished eating and were just sitting there with their stomachs full. Each was looking at the other with a look of extreme satisfaction. As they glanced at each other, Antonio came running up to them with a basket in his hands.

"How was everything?" Antonio asked.

"As always Antonio, perfection. Absolutely 100% perfection," Chris said with a wide grin.

"I thought it was excellent," Stephanie said with a smile that lit up her whole face.

"Wonderful, wonderful! I'm so glad that you liked it! Now, for dessert, I know you two are full so I brought you a special treat," Antonio said setting the basket down on the table.

"Ok, I've not had this before, what is it?" Chris said picking up what he thought was a nut but he wasn't really sure.

"It's called marron glaces. It is very rare that I have these so enjoy," Antonio said. "Neither one of you is allergic to nuts are you?"

"Not me," Chris said.

"Me either," Stephanie said with a smile.

"Good, it's actually Italian chestnuts cooked in a very sweet sugary sauce. Please try them and enjoy because like I said, it's very rare for me to get this," Antonio said with a nod before walking off.

"Well, let's give it a try," Chris said grabbing the basket and holding it out for Stephanie. "Ladies first, what a minute, are you a lady?"

"Very funny," Stephanie said rolling her eyes before snatching one up.

They each looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders before popping the sweet concoction in their mouths. A surprised look appeared on both of their faces and they bit down into the marron glaces for the first time.

"I would have never thought they would be so soft," Stephanie said chewing slowly as to savor the flavor.

"Me either, nuts are usually really hard. I wouldn't have thought that nuts could taste as sweet as this," Chris said.

"Chris, I've had such a great time, thanks for taking me out," Stephanie said smiling at him.

"Well, I should tell you that hanging out with me can be dangerous to your health," Chris said with a cocky grin.

"Oh really," Stephanie said with an arched eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, being the _Sexy Beast_ that I am, you may just fall in love with me," Chris said winking at her.

Stephanie sat there for a minute trying to act nonchalant but failing miserably. She knew she had to say something but that statement was just way too close for comfort. Finally she spoke. "Well, being the _Billion Dollar Princess_, you may just fall in love with me."

With those words spoken, Chris looked at Stephanie and noticed the look in her eyes for the first time. Unable to stop himself, he leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips, savoring the feel of her lips for the first time. Granted, it really wasn't his first time kissing her but kissing her in front of a live audience was an act. This wasn't an act.

Stephanie closed her eyes as she felt Chris lips gently touch hers. She couldn't believe that after all this time; he was finally kissing her. As he pulled away, she opened her eyes and noticed the soft look in his eyes as he was looking at her.

Antonio stood there watching around the corner with a smile a mile wide. Finally after all this time, it seemed that Chris was finally going to have the woman of his dreams. He couldn't stop the smile on his face if he wanted to. He silently turned away and went back to work.


	3. 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing so please don't sue!

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated! That said, on with the story;-)

Chapter 3

Chris looked deep into Stephanie's eyes and only saw happiness. He released the breath that he was holding in, unaware that he had done so. He also couldn't stop the silly grin on his face. He reached over and gently placed her hand in his. "I've wanted to do that for the longest time," he said as he gently rubbed his thumb over her hand.

"I've wanted you to do that for the longest time," Stephanie admitted shyly with a slight blush on her face.

"See, I told you that you couldn't resist the _Sexy Beast_," Chris said smiling with a wink.

Stephanie laughed out loud wishing the night didn't have to come to an end. She had waited for this moment for so long that she wished she could freeze time right now. In all her life, there was nothing that had ever felt so right than this moment.

They sat there just looking at each other when Antonio came up. "Is everything ok? How did you like my little dessert?"

"Antonio, as always, everything was just perfect," Chris said never taking his eyes off of Stephanie. It was as if it was all a dream and he was afraid that he would wake up at any time.

"Yes, it was wonderful," Stephanie said breaking eye contact to look at Antonio. "I think you will be seeing quite a bit of us when we are in town."

"Excellent, and of course, I expect to see you with him from now on," Antonio said beaming with pride.

"If I have my way, you'll see her _every time_ you see me," Chris said finally looking at Antonio. "If you will just bring me the check, we'll get out of your hair."

"Seeing as how this is a special moment, consider this, my present to you," Antonio said with a gleam in his eyes. Chris opened his mouth to dispute not paying the bill but Antonio put his hand up. "Now Christopher, you know better than to argue with me, especially in front of this beautiful young lady. Now, you two lovebirds go and spend some time together."

Chris looked at Antonio and while bothered by the free meal, he also understood that it was a gift. He wouldn't insult Antonio by insisting to pay for the meal. "Thank you Antonio," Chris said quietly.

Antonio nodded his head and gently picked up Stephanie's hand. After kissing it softly, he looked at her and said, "You be good to my Christopher. He is very special."

"Yes, he is," Stephanie said looking over at Chris.

Antonio walked off while Stephanie and Chris just sat there looking at each other holding hands. It was as if each one of them had decided that they wanted to memorize every detail of the night. Finally, Chris gently pulled his hand out of hers, slid out of the booth, and held his hand out for her. She placed her hand in his and stood up.

"I'm so glad you asked me out for dinner," Chris said his eyes as bright as the blue sky.

"I'm glad you said yes," Stephanie said with her eyes just as bright if not brighter.

They walked thru the restaurant hand in hand without a care in the world. Finally after all this time, it seemed as if things could be working themselves out for the better. Chris held open the door while Stephanie turned around and waved goodbye to Antonio. Antonio smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Chris nodded his head and walked out the door after Stephanie.

Stephanie stopped and turned around, almost colliding with Chris. She knew if she didn't kiss him the way she wanted to she would absolutely explode. Chris stood there with a puzzled expression on his face, unsure of what Stephanie was doing. Suddenly it became clear as she stepped in front of him with her lips slighted parted.

Chris met her halfway and both of them groaned as their lips touched again. Stephanie opened her mouth just a tad bit more and that was all the invitation that Chris needed. He swept his tongue into her mouth and explored just a little. Suddenly Stephanie wrapped her arms around Chris and pulled him completely flush against her body.

Chris wrapped his arms around her and felt as though they were devouring each other. After waiting so long for this moment, he knew this night would be a night that they both would always remember. Suddenly a car went by and reminded them that they were out in a parking lot in the middle of the night. Reluctantly Chris ended the kiss with another gentle kiss before pulling her into a hug.

Stephanie stood there with her eyes closed and her face having the expression of total and complete happiness. She felt so safe and secure in Chris's arms. She had never felt this way about anybody before. She rubbed her hands on his back up and down enjoying the feel of his body against hers.

Chris stood there with his arms wrapped around Stephanie hoping once again that the night would never end. It felt as though everything was finally coming together the way that it should be. He gently pulled away from her to look in her eyes but still kept his arms wrapped firmly around her.

"Well, I have to say, this has been a long time coming," Chris said.

"I would have to agree with that," Stephanie said.

"Where do we go from here?" Chris asked.

Stephanie stepped up on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on lips. "We will take this one day at a time. Personally, I'm content to just stand out here all night but you've got to work tomorrow."

"Ah yes, work. How right you are," Chris said with chagrin. "Where are you staying at?"

"Well, to be honest, I hadn't really planned on staying in town so I don't have anywhere to stay or any clothes with me for that matter," Stephanie said.

"You are more than welcome to stay in my room in a strictly platonic way. They were out of rooms with single beds so I've got an extra bed and I've got some extra clothes that you could sleep in," Chris said.

"Considering my options, I think that would be wonderful," Stephanie said with a smile.

Chris pulled away from her and led her to the car. After opening the car door for her, he jogged over to his side to get into the car. As they got in, Chris noticed Antonio standing outside waving goodbye. Chris and Stephanie both waved goodbye as they pulled out onto the highway.

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the hotel. Chris quickly got out of the car and opened the door for Stephanie. She smiled as she got out and reached out to quickly grab his hand as they walked into the hotel together.

"C-man, what's up?" Jay asked dragging Trish behind him.

He had been watching and pacing the hotel lobby waiting to see Chris. Of course, he wasn't surprised at seeing Chris and Stephanie holding hands though it did, oddly enough, look right. Trish had been hounding him for the past hour to go to bed but he just couldn't do it. He had to see how the night ended for the two of them and by the looks of it; it was ending pretty damn well.

"Nothing much, getting ready to hit the hay," Chris said gripping Stephanie's hand just a little tighter. He hoped that Jay wasn't planning on saying something that Chris would have to bitch slap him for.

"Cool, did you have a nice time Stephanie?" Jay asked looking at Stephanie.

"I had a great time, thanks for asking," Stephanie said with a huge smile on her face.

"Well, seeing how you two had a great time and all, we're going to head up to our room," Trish said firmly grasping Jay's hand in her own. "Good night." She pulled Jay with her to the elevator unable to stop the smile on her face as she pressed the elevator button.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked when the elevator doors closed. "I still had plenty of questions to ask them."

"You dip shit," Trish said. "Do you want to ruin their first date? They had a great time, they looked like they had a great time, and I think you should mind your own business for a little while."

"Women, can't live with them, can't live without them," Jay muttered as the elevator door opened and they walked out.

Chris and Stephanie stood there waiting for the next elevator. Chris had intentionally kept behind missing the elevator that Jay and Trish were on. He could see the questions bubbling in his best friend's face and he was just not ready to answer them yet. Technically, their date wasn't over yet so he shouldn't have to share.

"What was that all about?" Stephanie asked with a small grin.

"You see, that was Jay wanting to know all the details of our date and since our date isn't over yet, I just figured he could wait until later," Chris said with a grin.

"So what are you going to tell him?" Stephanie asked intrigued.

"I'm going to tell him that we had a great time," Chris said as the elevator doors opened. "Ladies first."

Stephanie entered the elevator with a grin and Chris followed her. He pushed the button for his floor and then threw his arm around Stephanie's shoulder. "So don't you think we had a great time?"

Stephanie grinned and said, "The best time."

They stood there looking at each other with silly grins on their faces. He reached down and nuzzled his nose with hers. He then pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. The elevator stopped and they exited the elevator with Stephanie's arm around Chris' waist and Chris' arm around her shoulders.

"Well, here we are," Chris said pulling his key out of his pocket. He opened the door and waited for Stephanie to enter his room.

"Wow, moving up in the world I see," Stephanie said surprised by the elegance in the room.

"Well, when you have the title of the First Undisputed Champion, you can live a little high on the hog," Chris said with a cocky grin.

"I'll have to file that for future reference," Stephanie said walking to couch and sitting down. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on while Chris sat down beside of her.

"Ok, girl movie, guy movie or both," Chris said.

"Let's see what's on," Stephanie suggested as Chris laid his arm around her shoulders. She sighed as she laid her head down on his shoulder and got comfortable.

"Why Stephanie are you trying to take advantage of me?" Chris asked.

"No, I'm just using you as a pillow," Stephanie said with her trademark smirk.

"Oh great, well at least I know where I stand now," Chris said rolling his eyes.

Stephanie tactfully chose to ignore the last little comment out of Chris's mouth. She flipped threw the channels looking for a movie for them to watch. Chris was perfectly content to just lay there with Stephanie in his arms when suddenly the power went out.

"What the hell?" Chris asked in the pitch darkness.

"Chris, what is going on?" Stephanie asked with a touch of fear in her voice.

"Nothing baby, you stay right here and I'll go check it out," Chris said trying to pull himself away from Stephanie. Unfortunately Stephanie was having none of that and hung onto his arm as if her life depended on it.

"Uh sweetie, is there something you want to tell me?" Chris asked very calmly.

Stephanie shut her eyes and counted to ten very slowly. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth. "I'm terrified of the dark."

Chris was glad that the room was dark so that Stephanie couldn't see the grin on his face. Here he was thinking she was fearless in everything she did but she was scared of the dark. For some reason, it made her all the more attractive to him. He pulled her against his side and could feel her body trembling. He kissed her softly on the forehead and said, "Don't worry Princess, you're with me."

"Thank you," Stephanie said closing her eyes and for the first time in a long time, felt safe and secure in a man's arms. She almost couldn't remember the last time she felt that way. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being silly."

"Hey, we all have our fears. Want to know what mine is?" Chris asked trying to lighten things up a bit.

"What? What is _the_ Chris Jericho afraid of?" Stephanie asked.

"Promise you won't tell," Chris said as if telling her the most important secret in the world.

"I promise," Stephanie said the seriousness in her tone assuring him that she was.

"Ok, I'm afraid of..." Chris said almost as if he was afraid to say it out loud.

"It's ok, it's just me. You know you can tell me anything," Stephanie said rubbing her hand up and down on his arm.

Chris took a deep breath and said, "Wrinkles."

Stephanie stood there for a moment stunned. She wasn't sure she heard him right. "Did you just say wrinkles?"

"Yes, I'm scared to death of them," Chris said mockingly.

Stephanie busted out laughing before punching him in the arm or at least what she thought was his arm. She relished the 'ouch' she heard come out of his mouth before realizing that she didn't seem to be so afraid of the dark anymore.

"There, that's much better," Chris said rubbing his arm where she had punched him. He would much rather hear laughter come out of her mouth than fear. Fear and Stephanie just didn't seem to go together very well in his mind and he was always right in his mind.

"What do we do now?" Stephanie asked.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Chris asked.

"Room service with some candles and a flashlight sir," the bellboy answered.

Chris tried to remember where everything was while still having Stephanie cling to his arm. He reached out with his other arm and felt his way till he got to the door. He opened the door and smiled at the young man standing outside the room.

"So Junior, is it just the motel or is the whole city down?" Chris asked.

"Actually sir, it's the entire block. It seems as though there was an accident that took out one of the power poles on the street. It looks like it will be at least 12 hours before there is any power," the bellboy said handing Chris the candles, matches, and flashlight. "The phone is still working so if you need anything other than cooked food, we should be able to handle it. Now if you will excuse me, I've got plenty of these to deliver."

"Certainly and thank you," Chris hollered out as the bellboy threw up his hand. He quickly shut the door and turned the flashlight on. "There, now it's not dark."

Stephanie sat down on one of the beds while watching Chris set up the candles. He placed one in the bathroom, one on the nightstand that was between the two beds, and one on the television set. She smiled softly as she thought of how silly she must have looked earlier but it couldn't be helped.

"There, no more darkness," Chris said with a silly smile on his face.

"You know, there is just something about candlelight, isn't there?" Stephanie asked.

Chris noticed the soft look in her eyes and practically melted right there. There was no other woman in the world that could make him feel this way with just a look other than Stephanie. She was, in his mind, the perfect woman for him. He couldn't help but bend down and kiss her softly on the lips saying, "I think there's just something about you."

Stephanie's blush was slight but still there. She was so unused to getting compliments. Of course, growing up in the McMahon family didn't help any there. Sure, her mom was the one to make sure that Stephanie knew how special she was but it felt so good hearing it from somebody who's opinion she truly valued that wasn't related to her. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Chris asked walking over to the door.

"Open the door," a mumbled voice said.

Chris rolled his eyes immediately recognizing the voice. He grinned at Stephanie before opening the door and see Chris Benoit on the outside.

"Took you long enough," he grumbled as he walked into the room only to stop dead in his tracks. "Stephanie?"

"Hi Chris," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear. "I've been meaning to call and congratulate you on your World Heavyweight Championship."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Benoit said grinning showing that he had his tooth in this time instead of out. "So, did you two finally decide to get together or what?"

Chris stood there at the door rolling his eyes getting ready to shut the door. He noticed that the door wouldn't close and looked down on the floor. There was a foot in the doorway. He glanced over to see an over excited Jay standing there with a sour-faced Trish behind him.

"Hey C-man, short time no see," Jay said grinning from ear to ear as he pushed his way thru pulling Trish a bit unwillingly into the room. "Hey Steph, Benoit, what's up?"

"Not much," Benoit said looking at Trish face and grinning. She looked totally irritated and he knew it was at Jay. "So what are you two doing out and about?"

"Well, with the power off, we thought we would just go and hang out with some friends. After all, there sure isn't any watching television or listening to the radio now is there?" Jay said his cockiness coming thru in spades.

"Hi Trish," Stephanie said quietly wondering what was up with the blonde bombshell from Canada. She looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was. "Since you're here, want to help me for a second?"

"That would be great," Trish said her face showing relief. The whole way down to the room she was trying to talk Jay out of coming here. It wasn't that she didn't like Stephanie or Chris; it was just the fact that her busybody boyfriend couldn't wait until the morning to found about Chris and Stephanie's date.

Stephanie turned to walk to the bathroom with Trish right behind her. Stephanie shut the door and turned around. "Ok, what's wrong?"

"Is it _that_ obvious?" Trish said chewing on her lip.

Stephanie laughed a giggle and said, "Only a little and only to the ones who know you so well."

Trish rolled her eyes and said, "You know, I just don't know what I'm going to do with him. He is the _worst_ gossip I've ever met. Seriously, there isn't a woman on this planet that could hold a candle to Jay when it comes to gossip."

"Really, I wouldn't have thought that Jay was the type but I don't really know him that well," Stephanie said looking a little surprised.

"Are you kidding me? _Neve_r tell Jay anything that you don't want anybody to know. It is guaranteed to get around the company in less the two hours," Trish said smiling a small smile.

"So noted for future reference," Stephanie said with a grin. "Ok, so why are you two here?"

Trish took a deep breath and with an annoyed look said, "Because _my_ boyfriend couldn't wait until tomorrow morning to find out about _your_ first date with Chris."

"So tell me, how did it go? Where did you go? What did you do? Have you kissed her yet? Come on man, I've waited long enough, _I_ want details and _I _want them now," Jay said sitting down on the bed and looking at Chris with an 'I'm not going to take no for an answer' look.

"Wait a minute," Benoit said looking irritated at Jay. "It's _none of your business_ what went on tonight you moron."

"Thank you Benoit, _I_ appreciate that," Chris said with a little smirk on his face.

"Hold up now, aren't I the one that told you that you needed to just go for it?" Jay said.

"Yes, but that is _not_ at all how it happened," Chris said with an irritated look on his face.

"Then by all means C-man, _do_ tell," Jay said with another smirk.

Chris looked at Benoit who shrugged his shoulders. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his first date because technically it wasn't over yet. Stephanie was still with him and he just didn't want to jinx anything with her. "Nope, can't tell you."

Benoit grinned from ear to ear. Normally anything Jay wanted, Chris would do but not this time. He was learning more and more about how Chris dealt with Jay on a daily basis. Granted, Jay was a good guy but everybody in the company knew if you wanted to keep something secret keep it away from Jay.

"That's _so_ not fair," Jay said whining reminding Chris way too much of Adam.

"Who said life was fair?" Benoit said with a grin on his face.

"What business is this of yours _Wolverine_?" Jay asked with a mad look.

"Absolutely none whatsoever," Benoit said enjoying the fact that he was irritating the hell out of Jay.

"Ok you two, cool it," Chris said with a smile on his face. "Look, I _will_ talk about when _I want_ to, not when _you_ want me to."

The bathroom door opened and Trish walked out followed by Stephanie. She walked up to Jay with a smirk on her face. "Since you're _not _going to find out anything tonight, can we go back to the room now?"

"No, I'm _not_ leaving until I get some answers," Jay said with that stubborn look on his face.

Chris looked at Stephanie and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure how to handle this or if he really wanted to deal with it at all. Stephanie looked at him and winked. He knew she was up to something but he wasn't sure what just yet.

"What do you want to know?" Stephanie asked with a sweet, deceptive smile on her face.

"_Finally_, somebody who wants to know what _I_ want! I want to know what happened on you two's first date," Jay said smirking at Benoit who was giving him a 'go to hell' look.

Stephanie smirked at Jay and said, "Well, technically the first date is _not_ over yet so how can he tell you anything?"

"Do you mean you two were getting ready to do the nasty? Well, alright C-man," Jay said with an astonished look on his face.

"Jay, I think you're opening your mouth _too much_," Benoit said getting pissed. Stephanie and Chris were two good people who deserved a lot more respect than they were getting. "If you don't knock it off, I'm going to make you tap right here in the middle of the room."

"Dude, you are _way_ too old for me. I could outdo you anytime," Jay said letting his character get the best of him once again.

"Oh no," Trish whispered to herself. She cared a lot about Jay and he was a lot of fun but right now he was totally being a creepy little bastard and it served him right if Benoit threw him down and did make him tap.

Chris looked at Stephanie and noticed the gleam in her eyes. He shook his head thinking it could not be good. He knew her all too well and saw the wheels in her mind turning full speed ahead. _"God help you now Jay,"_ he thought to himself.

Benoit didn't say one word. He walked up to Jay until he was nose to nose with him. Jay smirked the whole time not seeing the danger that he was in. "I _will_ make you tap," Benoit said with a slight smile on his face.

"Oh yeah," Jay said moving his head from side to side as if popping his neck. "Let's see you try and make me tap."

Chris shook his head the minute he heard Jay say that. Jay didn't know what he was dealing with and Chris decided right then and there that he was totally and completely on his own. He knew that Jay could be obnoxious but he had no idea that he was this bad.

Benoit looked over at Stephanie and noticed her nodding her head. He knew right then that he had permission to do what he was about to do and he was going to enjoy it. He looked at Trish and noticed the worried look on her face. He winked at her to let her know that he wouldn't hurt Jay too bad but that he was going to teach him a lesson.

Benoit reached out with his leg and tripped Jay to fall face first on the bed. He then pounced on him, hooking the Crippler Crossface on Jay before he could say a word. He locked it in but not as tight as he would have if he were in a real match. He didn't want to hurt Jay; he liked him. He just wanted to teach him a lesson.

Stephanie walked over beside of Trish and noticed the smile on her face. She grinned back at her and walked over behind Benoit getting ready to ask him to stop when she noticed Jay tapping out on the bed.

Chris laughed out loud and said, "Well Jay, _he_ made you tap."

Benoit released the hold and stood up beside of Stephanie. Jay jumped up and turned around the fury on his face clear for everybody to see. He was breathing hard, had been embarrassed in front of his hot girlfriend, and still didn't know anything about Chris's date with Stephanie. He grabbed Trish hand practically pulling her out behind him saying, "Come on, we don't need this," before stomping out of the door. Trish waved bye with a huge smile on her face.

"Sorry guys, I couldn't handle anymore of his mouth tonight," Benoit said with a slight smirk on his face. "Although, I couldn't help but notice that _you two_ seemed to enjoy that as much as _I _did."

"Jay can be hard to deal with at times but he is a good guy," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear. "I do have to say I enjoyed the look of shock on his face when you put him in the Crossface, that was priceless."

"I don't know baby, I kind of enjoyed the look on his face when he was falling down face first on the bed. It was like he knew what was coming and couldn't stop it. That was great man, just great," Chris said holding his hand out for Benoit to shake.

Benoit shook his hand and grinned from ear to ear. "You know, anytime you two need any help with that one, I would be _more than honored_ to help. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll leave you two alone." He patted Stephanie on the shoulder and headed towards the door.

"Hey Benoit," Stephanie said as he put his hand on the door handle.

"Yeah," Benoit said turning around to look at her.

"Thanks," Stephanie said with a huge grin on her face. "I don't think I have ever enjoyed watching you put the Crossface on somebody as much as I did tonight when you did that to Jay."

"Anytime Steph, anytime," Benoit said winking at her before he walked out and shut the door behind him.

Chris grinned at Stephanie before grabbing his bag. He pulled out his normal sleeping shorts, his extra pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts. "Well, it's getting late and we've got to get up early in the morning. Take your pick of what you want to wear to bed. You can change in the bathroom while I change out here."

"Ok," Stephanie said looking at the T-shirt sizes. "Let's see, this one is an extra-large." She held it up and grinned, "New shirt?"

Chris grinned as he watched her reading his shirt. It was a new prototype that said, "Don't you wish you were me?" on the front and "Y2J - The King of the World" on the back. "Yip, don't you like it?"

"It's definitely you," Stephanie said with a smirk. She grabbed a pair of shorts to go with it and headed towards the bathroom.

A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom and smiled as she saw Chris. He was lying on his bed with just a pair of black shorts on. A slight blush rose on her cheeks though why she wasn't sure. She had seen him without his shirt on thousands of times but this time was different. Then it hit her; instead of seeing just the wrestler, she saw the man and she really liked what she saw.

Chris grinned as he saw her come out of the bathroom. He had already turned the covers back on her bed while waiting for her in his own bed. He noticed how the shirt just barely did fit her chest and had to blush himself at the thought. He mentally shook his head of his thoughts.

The one thing that he wanted to do was to make this work between him and Stephanie. He knew he had to take things slowly and one day at a time. There really was no other way. He also wanted to treat her as she should be treated. She was a lady thru and thru. There was no denying that, no matter what he had said about her on television.

"A penny for your thoughts," Stephanie said quietly standing beside of his bed. She had quickly noticed that he had blown out the candles except for the one on the nightstand. She had taken care of the candle in the bathroom.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sure that it would just bore you," Chris said grinning from ear to ear.

"Somehow I doubt that," Stephanie said. She bent down and softly kissed him on the lips. She then turned and got into her bed. "Good night Chris."

"Good night Stephanie," Chris said watching as she closed her eyes. He waited until she was completely asleep before blowing out the candle. He laid there in the dark wondering what the future held for him and Stephanie. He hoped things would work out between them. He really and truly hoped that they did.


	4. 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination!

A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed. All feedback is welcome.

Chapter 4

Morning came with a bright light that awoke Chris immediately. He lay there for a minute waiting for his eyes to become accustomed to the light. He looked over in the other bed and while somewhat stunned by what he saw, couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face.

Stephanie was lying there asleep looking every bit like an angel sent from Heaven and then some. He couldn't help but think of her that way. She looked so young lying there and she had no make up on. Evidently, she had washed it off before she went to bed but it wasn't that. It was the innocence that showed on her face that was so breathtaking. It was the same innocent look that she had the first time she had been on television.

He smiled a small smile and sat up content to watch her sleep for the moment. Watching her sleep reminded him of when she had first started working for the company. She was fresh out of college and raring to take on the wrestling world with her ideas and outrageous skits. She breathed life into a company that had seemed to be struggling for air. She made sure she spoke to everyone backstage from the sound crew to the ring rats.

He suspected that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. The first time he saw her, his chest tightened and he felt light-headed. Of course, at the time he thought he was coming down with the flu but as time went on, it was impossible for him to ignore the signs anymore. It literally happened every time he was around her. Then one day it hit him like a ton of bricks; he was in love with Stephanie.

Stephanie lay there peaking at Chris thru her closed eyelids. She couldn't help herself. He was just so cute and was the sweetest guy she had ever met. She noticed the look on his face and opened her eyes. There in his eyes for her to see was every feeling that he had felt for her. She slowly sat up, tossed the covers aside, and walked over to his bed.

Chris looked at Stephanie with a puzzled look. Suddenly it hit him why she was standing there. He opened his arms and felt as though he had come home after a long trip when she placed herself in them. For so long, they had both dreamed of this moment and each one was savoring the moment. Stephanie finally got her head off of his shoulders and looked at him smiling a silly little grin.

"Good morning," Stephanie said quietly.

"Good morning Princess," Chris said grinning from ear to ear. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby," Stephanie said lying her head back down on his shoulder.

Chris took his hand and rubbed her arm up and down with contentment. In his arms, was the love of his life. If he ever doubted how he felt before, it was all crystal-clear with her lying in his arms. He was totally and completely in love with Stephanie Marie McMahon and he could hardly wait to shout it to the world. Of course, that would have to wait until he got the courage up to tell her first.

Stephanie wrapped her arm around Chris's waist with no desire whatsoever to be anywhere else but where she was. The feeling of coming home was so strong that it overwhelmed her to a certain extent. She had never felt this way about any one man in her entire life. It was as if the dark clouds of her life were finally breaking with sunshine shining thru. She also knew that there was no way in hell she would ever give him up without a fight.

"As much as I love lying here with you in my arms, I've got a plane to catch," Chris murmured before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"I think you should just skip the plane ride and stay right here," Stephanie said enjoying the feel of Chris's arms wrapped around her.

"I think your daddy would have something to say about that," Chris said chuckling to himself.

"Yeah but when you've been fired by him, you're not afraid to piss him off so getting fired definitely _does_ have its perks," Stephanie said cheekily.

Chris couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled thru his mouth. He thought it was great that she still had her sense of humor but he could also hear the sadness in her voice. He knew that it was killing her not being in the business anymore. "Well you know, I could always hire _you_ as my personal manager."

Stephanie sat up and looked at Chris intrigued by what he said. She knew he meant it but she wanted him to understand that there would most likely be consequences for him doing that. "That's sweet but I am not sure I'm worth that kind of hell."

"You're worth _ten_ kinds of hell to me," Chris murmured drowning in her blue eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm dead serious. You know that my contract has it in there that I can have any manager I want _outside_ of the company. Well, you _don't_ work for the company any more do you?"

Stephanie looked up at him and grinned. "Nope, not any more."

Chris looked a bit smug as he looked down at her again. "Well, what do you say? Would you like to be my personal manager effective immediately?"

Stephanie stared at him for a minute seriously mulling it over. Could she do it? Could she really pull it off? What would her dad do to Chris for it? What could her dad do to her? She knew what Chris's contract was like; it was standard among most of the wrestlers with a few perks added in like Chris's right to his own personal manager. There were so many questions and she did not have enough time to really find out the answers.

Chris noticed that her mind was racing a million miles a minute it seemed like. He also knew she was more worried about him than herself. "Come on, if _I_ am willing to take a chance on you, why can't _you_ take a chance on me?"

"Sweetie, it's not _you_ that I don't want to take a chance on. I'm just more worried about what dear old dad is going to do to _you_ when he finds out what _you've_ done," Stephanie said the worry evident in her eyes.

"You need to let me worry about ole' Vinnie-mac. I can hold my own with him," Chris said looking more and more smug by the minute.

"I have faith in you but you don't know how dirty my daddy can be," Stephanie said the fear in her eyes all too real.

"Maybe not but I'm _not_ afraid of him. As long as _I_ have _you_ by my side, there is nothing that he can do to us unless we let him. Besides, I always thought that _you_ were the dirtiest of the McMahons," Chris said. He could see her hesitation and pulled an ace out of his sleeve; he pouched out his bottom lip and said, "Come on, you know you want to say yes."

Stephanie sat there pondering for a moment. What harm would it really do? She didn't have a job anymore though she really didn't need one. She had enough stock from the company to last her a lifetime but money wasn't the issue; Chris was. This was the one surefire way to make sure she spent more time with him. She decided then and there what she was going to do.

"Ok, I'll take it," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear.

"See, I knew you couldn't resist me," Chris said smugly.

"Sweetie, it's _not_ you that I can't resist, it's your money," Stephanie said with her famous trademark smirk.

Chris's mouth fell open in the shape of an O. He knew she was kidding but it was just like going back in time when she looked at him like that. He decided turn about was fair play. "Oh _really_ Princess, I thought that you would take _anybody's_ money."

Stephanie turned three shades of red before grabbing the pillow and smacking him upside the head. She knew he was kidding but she couldn't just let him say it and get by with it. That was not her way of doing things. She looked at him and grinned, "Well, you know, I think this is going to be a lot of fun."

"Me too, Princess, me too," Chris said bending down to kiss her softly on the cheek.

"Come on _Jay_, you have to talk to me sometime," Trish said getting highly pissed at her boyfriend.

From the time they had gotten back to the room until the morning, she had been getting the silent treatment from her boyfriend. Why he was doing it was a mystery to her because she didn't say anything to him after leaving Chris and Stephanie's room last night.

Jay sat there mulling over his options. He was still embarrassed over the way he tapped out last night in front of his girl. He also knew that if he kept it up, there would be hell to pay. Trish loved him but she would cut him off in a heartbeat if he didn't chill out and he knew that.

"I'm sorry," Jay said quietly.

"Baby, what are you sorry for?" Trish asked carefully. When Jay was in one of his moods, dealing with him could be very tricky. She decided that the sweet approach might be what he needed right now so she sat down beside him on the bed and rubbed his arm. "Tell me."

"I'm sorry for making such an ass out of myself last night in Chris and Stephanie's room. I don't know what in the hell I thought I was doing but it was wrong and I'm sorry," Jay said.

"That's fine and all but I'm not the one you need to be saying that to. You need to apologize to Chris and Stephanie. It was their room," Trish said.

"_Jeez_, when am I going to learn Trish?" Jay asked with that miserable tone in his voice. "Chris had been crushing on her for the longest time and in one night, _I _could have totally ruined _everything_ for him. What kind of best friend am _I_?"

"A very curious one," Trish said grabbing a hold of his hand. "Look, I know that you are not sure why you acted the way you did last night and neither am I but you've got to let whatever this is between Chris and Stephanie take its own course, not the course that you think they should take."

Jay looked into his girlfriend's eyes and felt his insides turn to mush. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably get beat up a lot," Trish said with a gleam in her eyes.

Jay smiled and started to speak when there was a knock on their door. With a puzzled look on his face, he looked at Trish. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "I don't know who's at the door." Jay walked over, opened the door, and grimaced as he saw Chris Benoit standing there.

"Good morning Chris," Trish said walking up beside of Jay with a huge smile on her face.

"Good morning Trish, morning Jay," Benoit said with a slight smile on his face.

"Good morning, I'm sorry about last night," Jay said his face slightly red with embarrassment. "I don't know what got into me last night but I'm sorry I was such an ass."

Benoit's mouth dropped open and a look of shock appeared that was quickly replaced by a suspicious look. "Ok, are you on drugs?"

"_What_? Hell no, why would you say that?" Jay said with an irritated look on his face.

"Excuse me, but you _never_ apologize for anything you do," Benoit said with a pointed look.

"Yeah, well this time, _I was wrong_," Jay said looking more and more miserable by the second. He stuck his hand out for a handshake hoping for the best but expecting the worst. "Friends?"

Benoit looked at Jay's hand and then back at Trish. He could tell that Jay was sincere but he really did need to do something about his insane ability to drive people to their breaking point. One of these days, it was going to get him hurt. He took Jay's hand and shook it firmly. "Look, you need to learn how to read people and how to stay out of people's personal business. You're _going_ to get hurt one day if you keep it up."

"I know," Jay said looking like a little lost puppy dog. "Trish was just telling me that."

"Well, _you_ need to listen to _her_ because she's a pretty _smart woman_," Benoit said with a smile. "Look, no harm, no foul. I just wanted to make sure that everything was cool with us."

"Everything is _way_ cool," Jay said with a look of relief on his face. "By the way, can you teach me that move sometime?"

"Not on your life pal," Benoit said patting Jay on his shoulder. "Not on your life."

"Ok, I've got a seat on your flight but not beside of you," Stephanie said with her bottom lip poached out pouting. She had just gotten off the phone and while happy she was on the same flight, was hoping fate had a way of putting her beside of Chris. Fate evidently had other plans for their plane ride.

"Now, Princess, it's ok. It's _only_ an hour flight," Chris said with a smirk on his face.

"I know but it's an hour that _I_ won't be beside you and we need that hour to talk strategy," Stephanie said in full business mode.

"_Oh jeez_, are you going to be the type of personal manager that has to know my _every freaking move_?" Chris asked teasingly.

"_You bet your ass I am_," Stephanie said with a determined look on her face. She reached up and kissed him softly. "At least, _I_ will come with other _benefits_ that you will find worthwhile."

"No offense Princess, but you've given your _benefits_ to everybody else so what's so special about that," Chris said teasing some more.

"Well, see, it's like this," Stephanie said taking her tongue out and wetting her lips while taking her fingers and playing with his collar. "You've _never_ really had _my benefits_ before so you don't know what you are missing."

"Care to give me a little sample Princess," Chris said wrapping his arms around her waist.

Stephanie leaned up to kiss him and backed out of his arms. "Nope, not yet."

"Why you little," Chris started to say getting ready to chase her around the room when there was a knock at the door. He walked over, opened the door, rolled his eyes, and stepped out of the way for Jay to come in.

"Uh, good morning," Jay said his face red with embarrassment. He walked in with Trish behind him for morale support. She patted him on the back and walked over to stand beside of Stephanie. This whole thing was between Chris and Jay and they needed to be the ones to settle it.  
  
"Good morning _ass clown_," Chris said with an aggravated look on his face.

"Look, I just came by to apologize to the both of you. What I did last night was wrong, I shouldn't have done it, and I am _so_ sorry," Jay said.

Chris walked around Jay looking him up from head to toe. It looked like Jay and even sounded like Jay but it couldn't have been Jay standing there. There was no way in hell Jay would apologize for anything. "Ok, where in the _hell_ is Jay and what have you done with him?"

Jay blinked at Chris not sure how to answer that. "Look, I know it's _not_ normal for me to apologize but _I_ screwed up big time last night. It was your first date with Stephanie's and I had no right to interfere with it."

"Wow," Stephanie murmured. She leaned over and whispered to Trish. "Has he been like this all morning?"

"Yes, scary isn't it?" Trish whispered back.

Jay held out his hand and hoped that Chris would take it. Normally, Chris would have just kicked his ass by now but at least he was listening. Plus, Jay really meant his apology this time. He needed Chris to see that.

Suddenly Chris grabbed his hand and pulled him towards him in a hug. He smiled and winked at the two girls then pulled himself out of Jay's arms. "Dude, don't ever do that again. You really crossed a line last night that should have never _EVER_ been crossed."

Jay's smile almost blinded Chris. "Dude, you do _not _have to worry about that. I'm going to do my best to control myself. Last night taught me that you should never interfere in somebody's personal life. It's just wrong."

"Damn, Trish is doing wonders for you my boy. You had better hold onto that one," Chris said elbowing him in the side before going over to Stephanie and grabbing her hands. "Girls like these don't come along often so you had better appreciate what you have got."

"Don't worry about Jay," Trish said walking up beside of him grinning from ear to ear. "He's a really good guy, he just hasn't had a good woman to bring it out of him until now."

"I think you're doing a bang up job on that," Stephanie said with a grin.

Jay looked at Stephanie. "I'm _really_ sorry about last night."

"No problem," Stephanie said with a grin on her face. Suddenly the smirk came out from nowhere. "Just don't let it happen again."

"_Damn girl_, that is scary as hell how quick you can do that," Trish said grinning from ear to ear.

"No shit, I just about had another freaking heart attack. That's the second time you've done that to me and we've only been around you for two days," Jay said shaking his head.

Stephanie let go of the smirk and smiled a genuine smile. "Sorry, I was just practicing for later."

"What's later?" Trish asked.

"You know, I think it's time that we get moving. We've got a plane to catch," Chris said ignoring Trish's question.

Stephanie was unable to keep the huge smile on her face. She looked at Trish and said, "I've got a job!"

"Really? Where?" Trish said bubbling with excitement.

Stephanie opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Chris beat her to it. "She's working for me. Trish, Jay, meet Stephanie McMahon, my personal manager."

"Oh shit, are you serious?" Jay said with a look of horror and excitement.

"Dead serious," Chris said with a smug smile. "It's in my contract, I can have anybody I want and I want the best."

"Congratulations Stephanie," Trish said with a high pitched squeal grabbing Stephanie and hugging her. "I've got my shopping buddy back now!"


	5. 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination;-)

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates but when the muses are not working, what can you do? Luckily, they worked long enough for another chapter so that being said....on with the story!

Chapter 5

"Well, I don't think we will be allowed on _that_ airline again," Trish said with a grin.

"I think you are probably right," Stephanie said hooking her arm thru Trish's as they walked thru the airport grinning from ear to ear without a care in the world.

Chris and Jay followed the girls carrying the bags grinning at their antics. Of course, Stephanie had begged and pleaded until the stranger in the seat beside of Chris changed seats with her. Of course, the passenger was an older male and couldn't resist the charms of the young and beautiful Stephanie McMahon.

Then, to add more displeasure among the other passengers, Jay and Trish's seats were right in front of Stephanie and Chris's seats. Finally, unable to take them whispering and giggling between the seats, Jay got up and demanded that Stephanie sit with Trish so he could talk guy talk instead of being annoyed by the whispers between the seats.

Finally, after switching seats, the two girls laughed the rest of the flight about one thing or another to the point that the guys were getting mean looks from the passengers for letting the girls sit together. Jay and Chris finally just shrugged their shoulders, turned their in-flight headsets on, and closed their eyes. It was the only way to keep from getting the 'go to hell' looks that they were receiving.

"Dude, our next flight is on the same airline," Jay said walking beside of Chris. He didn't want to be stuck; he wanted to make sure that they could get back home.

"Chill out. What can they do? We _are_ paying customers," Chris said shrugging off Jay's concerns. Sometimes Jay was a big crybaby but Chris wouldn't change a thing about his best friend.

As they walked thru the airport, they noticed the fans standing around with their signs. Of course, Jay and Chris just grinned at each other. They loved the fact that they could walk into a room and be recognized immediately. Their smiles turned upside down when they heard what the fans were saying, particularly the male fans that were standing there.

"Oh my God, there's Trish Stratus! She's even hotter in person than she is on TV," a young man said slightly drooling while watching the hot woman walk by.

"Dude, who cares about Trish? Stephanie is way hotter," said his young friend standing beside of him.

Chris and Jay looked at each other with disgusted looks. They knew they had hot women but other men didn't have to drool over them in right front of them. Chris, unable to hold it in, walked up to the two men in question and said, "Wipe your mouths Juniors, drooling will get you no where with those two."

The two dudes immediately started wiping their mouths to which Jay busted out laughing. Chris looked over at him and smiled before turning back to the men. "By the way, they like _real men_, not little boys." With a smirk, Chris walked off towards Jay without a care in the world leaving the two young men standing there scratching their head wondering what in the hell had just happened.

"Dude, that was classic," Jay said with a smirk.

"Thanks, I feel much better now," Chris said with his own little smirk.

They walked over to the rental car section where Jay had made a reservation the day before. After grabbing the keys, Jay grabbed Trish's hand and led everybody to the Explorer that he had rented. Once the guys got the vehicle loaded, Jay and Trish jumped up front while Chris and Stephanie grabbed the backseat.

"Uh, sweetheart," Stephanie said batting her eyes at Chris.

"Yes dear," Chris said wondering what on earth was wrong with her eyes.

"I kind of need to do a little shopping while I'm here. Remember, no bag, no clothes," Stephanie said gently reminding him of her situation.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that. Jay, we need to stop at a mall or something," Chris said.

"Dude, are you out of your freaking mind? There's no way we will be able to go shopping without being mobbed," Jay said looking in the rear view mirror as he spoke to his best friend.

"Oh ye of little faith," Trish said rolling her eyes. She turned around in the front seat to look at Chris. She then turned to wink at Stephanie and said, "I've got us covered. Just hand me the small bag in the back."

Chris reached around back and grabbed the small bag to Trish. She opened it up pulling out a few things before handing the bag back to Chris. She then grinned at Stephanie while handing her a wig, sunglasses, and a cap.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you kept these," Stephanie said immediately recognizing her old shopping gear. Trish and her had always had a great time shopping together incognito with their disguises in the past. She quickly grabbed her wig and started putting it on.

"You really didn't think I would ever get rid of them did you," Trish said with a grin. "After all, nobody did more shopping than you and I in these outfits and personally, I always knew you would be back with me shopping again someday."

Trish began putting her disguise on while Stephanie had already gotten hers on like the true pro that she was. The blonde wig totally changed Stephanie's appearance to the point that Chris felt like he was looking at a stranger. Stephanie noticed the look and laughed out loud saying, "Trish, I think Chris is afraid of me."

Trish turned around and noticed how shocked Chris was at Stephanie's appearance. She laughed out loud saying, "Well, you know, I always told you that you would be a knock out as a blonde. I guess this proves it."

"Now, wait a minute, I like you just the way you are," Chris said trying to make sense of it all when he realized what he had said and noticed the fire in Stephanie's eyes. He swallowed and smiled a nervous grin. "But hey, I like how you look now with the blonde hair too so just whatever you want to do with your hair is totally ok with me."

Stephanie seemed satisfied with that answer and smirked while finishing putting her disguise on. Trish was up front doing the same but Trish's red wig with long curls was really something on her. Chris wasn't sure exactly what it was but it was something. Finally the girls finished up as Jay pulled into the mall parking lot. He parked the vehicle and said, "Girls, I know you love shopping but you really need to hurry. We've got to get to the arena."

Stephanie and Trish jumped out of the vehicle and blew kisses at their men before running off to do their thing. As they ran in, they ran up to the mall information sign to see which shops were in there exactly and where the shops were located. They had been shopping together for a long time and knew exactly what to do.

"Ok, here's some money, you know my size," Stephanie said handing Trish some cash. "You head to the Jean Barn and grab me a pair of pants and a shirt. I'll head over to the drug store for my toiletries. I'll meet you back here in fifteen minutes. I'll run to the bathroom real quick and get changed."

"No problem, let's do this," Trish said winking at Stephanie before rushing off in the opposite direction that Stephanie was heading.

Jay and Chris were sitting out in the vehicle wishing they would hurry up. They would have preferred to grab a bite to eat in catering before they had to go on. But if the girls didn't hurry up, they wouldn't have enough time, which meant that they would have to wait until after the show to grab something and neither Jay nor Chris was too enthused about that.

"I'll be damned," Jay said with a small grin on his face. "Here they come."

Chris looked the window to see the girls running with two bags in their hands. They high-fived each other before getting in the vehicle. Stephanie leaned over and kissed Chris gently on the lips. Trish reached into her bag to show Stephanie what all she had gotten.

"I love that shirt," Stephanie squealed when Trish held up a blue tank top.

"That's good, because I bought two of them. One for me and one for you," Trish said handing her the one she had bought for her.

Stephanie squealed again and reached forward to hug Trish's neck. She had missed her so much while she had been gone but she was back now. She was back and there was not one thing that Vincent Kennedy McMahon could do about it; at least, nothing that they could think of at the moment.

"Ok, let's get to the arena," Trish said turning back in her seat and looking at Jay.

"You got it baby doll," Jay said smiling at her before putting the vehicle in drive.

Chris and Stephanie sat back there with the same thing on their minds; how could they make her return the huge impact that it should be without letting her dad know what was going on. As they were thinking, it was as if a light bulb had went off in both of their heads. They each turned to each other and said, "I got it!"

Chris then smiled and whispered in Stephanie's ear. Her smile just kept getting bigger and she nodded her head saying, "I know, that's _exactly_ what I was thinking."

"What are you two whispering about?" Trish asked curious to know what was up with the two in the back seat that looked like two cats that had swallowed two canaries.

"Not a thing," Chris said with a smirk on his face looking down at Stephanie.

"Nope, not one thing," Stephanie said looking at Chris with her own smirk on her face.

"Oh no," Jay said looking in the rear view mirror. "You two are up to something. I can see it in your eyes."

"So, what's wrong with that?" Trish asked confused as to why it would bother Jay so much. The expression on his face said it all; he was expecting some huge trouble.

"Nothing except it's going to be hell to pay, whatever it is," Jay said turning to look at Trish. He then looked back in the rear view mirror and saw the innocent looks on Stephanie and Chris's faces. He shook his head, "Ok, I don't know what you two are up to and I don't really want to know but I do have one question for you."

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"How in the hell are you going to get her backstage without anybody knowing who she is?" Jay asked.

"Shit, I didn't think about that," Chris said his face showing his words. He turned and looked at Stephanie. "Well, you're my business manager? How do we manage that?"

"Silly boys," Stephanie said with a smirk on her face. She let out a deep breath and smiled. "I think I'm going just as I am right now."

Trish looked at Stephanie. She then looked at Jay with that 'I want something from you' look. "Jay honey, sweetie, can you do me a favor?"

"When you look at me like that, you know that there isn't a thing in this world that I won't do for you," Jay said with a scared look on his face.

Trish busted out laughing at the expression on his face. He was so worried and for no reason. "Silly boy, I need for you to pull over and let Chris and I switch seats."

"Ok, and when were you planning on asking me?" Chris asked.

"I wasn't going to ask you; I was just going to tell you to switch seats with me," Trish said cheekily.

Jay pulled the vehicle into a vacant parking lot. Trish and Chris exchanged seats quickly and Jay pulled back out into traffic. Trish was reaching into her bag and found a few beach towels that she had brought for emergencies. She couldn't even begin to tell of the times that room service didn't have towels ready at odd times of the night so she started carrying her own as a back up. She pulled them out and wrapped one around her and then held it out like a cape.

"Sweetie, what in the hell are you doing?" Jay asked looking as if Trish had lost her mind.

"Honey, I'm trying to give Stephanie some privacy she can freshen up a bit," Trish said rolling her eyes.

"Why doesn't she wait until she gets to the arena?" Chris asked.

"Well, she doesn't look her best. You know how she is when she doesn't think she is looking the best that she possible could. Besides, she wants to make a statement when she walks into that building," Trish said.

Stephanie had already shimmied out of her pants, slipped the new ones, and fastened them in record time in the bathroom at the mall. They were running out of time so she had decided to change her shirt in the vehicle. She then very quickly pulled her shirt off and put one of her new ones one. She then felt frisky and threw her old shirt up front where it landed in Chris's lap.

"Ok," Chris said pulling the shirt up and checking it out. It was still warm from her body and very lusty thoughts went floating thru his head. He groaned and threw the shirt back. "What are you trying to do? Torture me?"

Stephanie laughed out loud, a real throaty woman laugh. It was the kind of laugh where a woman knows exactly what a man was thinking. The kind of laugh that sent goose bumps up and down his arms. He groaned out loud as his pants became tight once again. He didn't even try to think of anything because he knew there was nothing he could do about; at least, not right now.

"Ok, I'm done," Stephanie said letting Trish know that she was done.

"Damn, you look great," Trish said admiring the new outfit that she had bought.

"Thanks," Stephanie said smiling ear from ear. She had put on a pair of hip-huggers that were literally made for her body. Her top was almost a perfect blue match for Chris's eyes. The material was soft and clung to her chest in all the right places. She then pulled off her shades and began applying the makeup that she had bought at the drug store. Once she finished that, she put her shades back on, and puckered her lips at Chris as if blowing him a kiss.

"Damn who are you?" Chris said amazed at how different she looked.

"My name is Mary Edwards, nice to meet you," Stephanie said with a complete and total business look on her face.

"Folks, I think we have a winner," Jay said looking into the mirror. "It's time to see if it pays off."

Jay pulled into the arena parking lot around back where security was. After seeing Jay and Chris in the front of the vehicle, security just motioned them on thru. Jay decided it was best to find a parking space as close to the backstage entrance as possible. Suddenly he spotted one and pulled into it quickly before looking at Chris grinning.

"Now, are you sure you two are ready for this?" Jay asked.

"I'm ready," Chris said winking at Jay. He turned around and looked at Stephanie. "Are you ready Princess?" he asked.

"I'm always ready," Stephanie said throwing her nose in the air in true Princess style.

"You know, I've heard that before about you," Chris said teasingly.

"Keep it up and you'll _never_ find out if the rumors are true," Stephanie said while smiling at him sweetly.

They all busted out laughing as they exited the vehicle. Jay and Chris grabbed their bags and rushed into the arena. As they walked backstage, Stephanie could feel the rush of being backstage and embraced it. It didn't matter to her that her father might be furious at her for being there; she really didn't care. This was where she belonged and this was where she was going to stay.

They walked around until they found Chris's locker room. Before they could get inside, Hunter and Evolution came walking around the corner, which was absolutely the last thing they wanted. The first thing Hunter noticed was the blonde that was walking with Trish. There was something very familiar about her but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hey Jericho, how's it going?" Hunter said with gum smacking in his mouth and a smug look on his face.

"Fine Hunter and you," Chris said being polite just for the sake of being polite.

"Hey, when you're in Evolution, it doesn't get any better than this," Ric Flair said running his hand thru his hair in true Nature Boy style. "Wooooo!"

Hunter laughed and patted Ric on the back. "You are just so right. You know, Evolution is thinking about looking for a new member now that Randy is out but you know, I just don't think that you are Evolution material."

"You know, even if I was, which thank the good Lord above, _I'm not_; I wouldn't ever and I mean EVER dream of joining the likes of you," Chris said before grabbing Stephanie's hand and entering the dressing room quickly followed by Trish and Jay.

"Damn that was close," Jay said throwing his bag down onto the bench.

"No shit Sherlock," Chris said rolling his eyes. He turned and looked at Stephanie. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Stephanie said smiling back at Chris. "Don't worry; he doesn't get to me anymore. He hasn't in a very long time."

Chris looked over at Trish and noticed the worried expression on her face. There were several reasons to worry but Hunter by himself was enough to worry about. Stephanie and Hunter had shared an on-screen relationship but that was it. Stephanie really didn't care that much for his personality but unfortunately for her, Hunter was smitten.

He was more smitten with the power of dating the boss's daughter than anything. It really was nice at first; they had fun when they worked together then things got really strange really fast. All of a sudden Stephanie was not allowed to go anywhere without him.

Finally, she pulled her father to the side and asked to be placed in a different story line. She used the excuse that she was bored with the McMahon-Helmsley era but there was a lot more to it than that. She was tired of being used just because her last name was McMahon.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Jay got up and opened the door. There was a stagehand that handed him the layout for tonight's show. He quickly thanked the man and shut the door. "Well, this is interesting," he muttered while looking thru the schedule.

"What?" Chris asked.

"Well, it looks like the Highlight Reel is open but it says here that you get to pick the guest yourself tonight," Jay said grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh really, that sounds pretty good to me," Chris said rubbing his hands together. He turned to look at Stephanie and noticed that trademark smirk on her face again. "What do you say Stephy baby? Want to be on my show tonight?"

"Yes Chris, I believe I do," Stephanie said grinning back.


	6. 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination;-)

A/N: Wow, two updates in one week; I'm on a roll;-) Thanks for all the reviews, they really do mean a lot... that being said.... on with the story!

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Highlight Reel with the one, the _only_ Y2J!" Chris paused a second to let the crowd cheer him since that was what the crowd wanted to do. Of course, he always wanted to let the crowd do whatever they wanted; as long as he got a reaction, he didn't care what they did.

"I hope you guys are ready for a treat because tonight, live here on RAW, I have the absolute best guest EVER to be on the Highlight Reel but first, I have a few things to say to Hunter," Chris said looking straight into the camera.

He smiled an evil smile and said, "You know Trips, you and I go a long way back. Times have changed haven't they? I mean you went from one group, De-Generation X to another group, Evolution."

Chris paused for a moment as if thinking about something. He looked out to the crowd and smirked. "But wait a second; that is not really changing things is it?"

Chris started walking around the ring using his hands to emphasize what he was saying. "I mean, you seem to _always have to have people helping you_ in one way or another, don't you Trips? Sure you change the people in your 'little' groups because, let's be honest here, you have a unique way of pissing people off."

The crowd loved it when Chris tore apart Hunter. It never failed; most of the time, it was one of the things he loved the most about his job. His ability to rip Hunter to shreds each and every opportunity he got. The special thing was that Hunter had no clue as to what was getting ready to happen and that made it all the more sweeter.

"But then again, you are Hunter and that's what you do best, next to sticking that huge nose of yours into other people's business," Chris said looking at the camera. He smirked for just a second and then got a very serious look on his face. "My business is my own and the best thing that you can do is stay out of it."

Chris then turned to the crowd listening to the Y2J chants. He loved hearing it; it meant the crowd loved what he was saying and wanted more. Now was the time; now was the moment that he had been waiting for. "Now, a lot of you don't know this but I have acquired myself a new business manager. She's smart, she's got class, and she's _exclusively mine_. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the one, the only, Mary Edwards!"

Chris held his hand up towards the ramp watching as the crowd turned their head towards the Titan-tron. The lights went out and his music started playing again. Suddenly, there was a female standing at the top of the ramp with her arms out in exact Jericho fashion. She turned around and smiled, waving as she walked down the ramp.

As she walked down the ramp, Hunter was backstage wondering where he had seen that woman before. Sure, he had had plenty of women but there was something about that woman that caught his eye. It wasn't so much the way she looked as the way she moved. There was just something so familiar about it and he just couldn't put his finger on it.

He turned to Ric, who was telling another 'way back when' story to Dave, and said, "Hey Natch, does that woman look familiar to you?"

Ric watched the screen for a minute before turning back to Hunter. "When you've been on Space Mountain as many times as I have, you tend to forget a few of those faces, if you know what I mean." Ric slapped Hunter on the back with a smile.

Hunter smirked at Ric. "Yeah, I would say you're way ahead of the rest of us in that department. I think we just might have to stick my nose into Jericho's business tonight."

"Champ, that's the best thing I've heard you say all night long! Wooooo," Ric said grinning from ear to ear.

Jay and Trish stood backstage near the gorilla position watching the monitor intensely. Stephanie and Chris would not tell them anything about the Highlight Reel other than it should not be missed.

"Look at her," Trish whispered. "You can't tell it's her at all."

"I know," Jay whispered back. "What will happen when she talks though?"

"Surely Chris won't have her talk," Trish whispered back the worry evident in her voice.

"Honey, it's Chris, anything is possible," Jay whispered back.

Trish opened her mouth to say something but then decided not to. Stephanie had just gotten into the ring and Jericho had opened his arms to embrace his new manager. As he stood there in the ring, he couldn't help but feel as if this should have been how things were all along and would have been if Hunter had not had pitched such a fit over Stephanie and Chris working together. Oh well, that was then and this was now and fortunately for them, there wasn't a damn thing Hunter could do about what was going to happen next.

"You doing ok baby?" Chris whispered in her ear.

"As long as you're with me, I am," Stephanie whispered back.

Chris let Stephanie out of his arms but grabbed her hand. He then held her hand up and indicated for her to spin around. She grinned at him and slowly turned around while he pumped up the crowd as only he could.

"Ladies and gentlemen, is this not the _hottest_ woman that you have ever seen on this show?" Chris asked basking the crowd's approval. He checked her out from head to toe grinning from ear to ear. "You know, being the King of the World and all, I really did need an extra-special manager and _boy,_ did I find one."

Suddenly Evolution's music came on and slowly but surely, Hunter, Ric, and Dave came walking out to the top of the ramp. They were dressed to the nines and looking just as smug. Stephanie looked at Chris with questions in her eyes but all Chris could do was shrug his shoulders. He didn't have a clue as to what was going on. The music died down and Hunter had a microphone in his hand.

"You know Chris, you like to run that mouth a little bit too much," Hunter said smirking while flapping his mouth with gum. "But that's ok, that's what you do best; run your mouth."

The crowd booed and hissed Hunter as they always did. Chris's face showed his boredom as he looked out into the crowd. He also couldn't let it pass that Hunter had just insulted him on national television; oh no, not the Chris Jericho. "Well, you know Hunter, at least I can back my words up _by myself_. I don't have a 'has been' and a 'want to be' jumping to do my bidding."

Hunter's face turned red with anger. "Who in the hell do you think you are? Huh? Who in the hell do you think you are talking to?" he screamed into the microphone.

Suddenly a Y2J chant broke out that seemed to go on forever. Of course, Chris and Stephanie just stood up there smirking and enjoying watching Hunter throw his hissy fit. He was stomping around, telling the crowd to shut up, and acting an awful lot like a younger version of Ric Flair.

"You know, you're going to have a heart attack one of these days, if you keep doing that," Chris said watching Hunter's face grow even redder with anger.

Hunter closed his eyes and counted to five. He then opened his eyes and smiled. He then looked at the ring and said, "You know Mary, I will agree with Chris that you are the hottest thing I've ever seen on this show but there is one thing that puzzles me; you seem so familiar to me. Have we met somewhere before?"

Stephanie smirked and shook her head no. She knew where he was going but she wasn't taking the bait. She was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for. She then walked over in front of Chris. He grinned smugly at Hunter and then wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What's the matter Mary? Will Chris not let you talk?" Hunter said getting frustrated at his inability to get her to talk to him.

"You know Trips, why would she want to talk to you when she has me, the one and only Sexy Beast?" Chris asked with a huge grin on his face.

"Maybe she just doesn't know that she has other options, maybe she would like to give Evolution a ride," Hunter said with an evil glint in his eyes.

"It's time," Chris whispered in her ear. He handed the microphone to her and walked over to the corner of the ring. He then made himself comfortable, as he always did, by lying sideways where the upper part of his body was on one side of the ring and his legs on the other. He then gestured with his hand that Mary should continue, by all means.

Stephanie smirked before pulling her shades off. She then looked out at the crowd, basking in the moment. She was back on live television and she never felt better. Up until this moment, she knew she had missed it but didn't realize how much until just then. She decided it was time; time to let the whole world know just exactly who Mary Edwards was and what she was all about.

"You know Hunter," Stephanie said smirking at him. "You _are_ right, you do know me."

The crowd screamed with excitement. It seemed as though the second Stephanie started speaking; it had a ripple effect on the crowd. It was like they knew who she was and were so very glad to see her. She grinned back out at the crowd again before turning back to Hunter. She decided that she needed to torture him just a little for old time's sake.

She walked over to Chris and kissed him softly on the lips before turning her attention back to Hunter. She licked her lips and smiled. "In fact, you know me very well."

Hunter stood there at the top of the ramp frozen. He knew that voice; he would know that particular voice anywhere. "No, there's no way in hell...."

"Oh but there is," Stephanie said jerking her wig off to the delight of the crowd. "Chris only lied about one thing and that was my name. My name is not Mary Edwards. My name is Stephanie McMahon and I'm back on RAW!"

The crowd popped as if the Rock had walked in after a long absence. Never before had there ever been a pop this loud, not even for Stone Cold Steve Austin. Chris just smiled and jumped down to stand behind Stephanie. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. The crowd finally calmed down enough for Stephanie to speak when her father's music hit.

Vince McMahon staggered down the ramp with an enraged look on his face. Evolution smirked at the ring before walking backstage. There was no need for them now that Vince was out there. He would do their dirty work for them. They quickly patted each other on the back while walking up to one of the backstage monitors to watch Vince rip Stephanie a new asshole.

Vince felt a fury that he had never felt before in his life. He couldn't stand the fact that Stephanie was standing in his ring. How dare his one and only daughter do this to him? How dare she try and weasel her way back into the company this way? He didn't know what in the hell she was thinking but it was time to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.

Chris felt the tension in Stephanie the minute her father showed up. He kissed her softly on the cheek. He then laid his head down next to her ear and said, "Baby, you didn't quit; you didn't submit. He also can't touch you because you're in my care now. You have to trust me on this; besides, we've got another ace up our sleeve."

Stephanie felt as though the weight of the world had dropped off her shoulders the minute Chris said that to her. She knew this would be ugly but it had to be done. The quicker her father saw that he couldn't run her off, the better it would be for her and Chris.

Vince stepped thru the ring ropes with an evil look on his face. He immediately stormed over to the corner of the ring and demanded a microphone. Lillian quickly walked up, handed him hers, and quickly walked back to her seat.

"Stephanie, what in the hell do you think you are doing? Are you forgetting that you no longer work for me?" Vince asked with fire in his eyes.

"No daddy, not all," Stephanie said with a smile. She turned to look at Chris and then brought the microphone back up to her mouth. "I _don't_ work for you; I work for Chris."

"No, you _can't_ work for Chris! Let me refresh your memory for a moment. The match clearly stated that if you lost, you were fired _never_ to return again," Vince said madder than hell. He was not going to be played by his daughter; there was no way in hell that he would let her do that to him.

"Well daddy, you know, you really should have read the fine print," Stephanie said with a smirk on my face. "You see, I didn't submit; I didn't quit. I know that and you know that. Therefore, the provisions of the contract were _null and void_."

The crowd roared his approval while Vince looked as though his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He took his hand and ran it thru his hair showing his aggravation at the situation. "It doesn't matter; technically the towel was thrown in therefore, you lost the match and any future that you had here right along with it."

Suddenly the Titan-tron went black along with the entire arena. Stephanie was immediately glad that Chris had kept his arms around her the whole time. With the place, pitch-black her fear of the darkness was starting to take over until she heard, "It's ok baby, remember when I said I had an ace up my sleeve. This is it."

Stephanie immediately turned her attention to the Titan-tron wondering what on earth Chris was talking about. She knew he had said that he had an ace up his sleeve twice now but she really didn't know what he meant by that. Her eyes suddenly lit up and the smile on her face showed her happiness. She couldn't believe what she was seeing but she sure was glad to see her.

Linda McMahon showed up on the Titan-tron to the roar of the crowd. She smiled and winked at her daughter before turning her attention to her husband. "Vince, oh Vince, although it pains you to hear it, our daughter is right. After speaking _extensively_ to our lawyers, the provisions in the contract _are_, in fact, _null and void_."

Vince looked as if he could kill anybody at that moment. His face was so red that it was almost purple. He spoke thru clenched teeth wishing that his wife would stay out of his business. "Linda, you stay the hell out of this! This doesn't concern you," Vince said the anger flowing from his body in waves.

Linda sighed and smiled softly. She knew how he would react and she was ready for him. "But you see Vince, that's where _you_ are _wrong_. _It does concern me_. _Anything_ that concerns _this_ company _concerns me_ or _have you forgotten who I am and my position_?" Linda asked in a deceptively calm voice. "Because if you have, let me reassure you and all of _our_ fans out there that _I am still the CEO_ of this company and I can make _your life_ a living hell if _I_ choose to. If _I_ were you, _I _would _think_ about that."

Stephanie stood there so proud of her mother. Linda had always been Stephanie's role model and right then, she couldn't remember a time when she had been more proud of her mom than she was at that moment. There were so many times in her life when her mom was always there for her. It never failed; whenever she needed her mother, she was always there for her, no matter what Stephanie had done to her or anybody else for that matter. She then noticed her mom looking at her and smiled.

"Thanks mom," Stephanie said her cheeks bright with excitement.

"You're welcome sweetheart," Linda said smiling at her daughter. "You know the women of this family have to be tough when dealing with the men in this family and I'm glad that you took after me instead of your father."

"So am I mom, so am I," Stephanie said watching her father's face look as if he was in shock. "You know Dad, this could be a lot of fun. Well, probably not fun for you, but Chris and I are going to have a blast!"

With that being said, Stephanie dropped the microphone. Chris's music filled the arena along with the cheers of the fans. Chris ran to the ring ropes and opened them up for her. She grinned and went thru them and jumped to the floor. She patiently waited for Chris and then grabbed his hand as they walked up the ramp. They then turned around grinning from ear to ear basking in the return of Stephanie McMahon to Raw.

Chris looked at Stephanie with a gleam in his eyes. He grabbed her by the waist, pulled her flush against his body, bent her backwards, and kissed her like she had never been kissed before on live television. She basked in the kiss putting all that she had into the kiss and more. Chris finally pulled her upright and quit kissing her. They then turned and walked backstage.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon stood out there in the ring with a sad long look on his face. He knew that he had been beat and he didn't like it; not one bit. The only problem was there wasn't anything he could do about it. He racked his brain watching his youngest go backstage trying to think of something, anything, to get her out of the company but couldn't. He then slowly made his way to the back listening to the crowd boo him. He didn't care; he just knew that there was no chance in hell that he could get rid of her now.


	7. 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination. This work is purely fictional though most of us wish that it would really happen. Sigh, oh well;-)

A/N: Thanks to lucyzigg for a little help with the story just by one little bitty comment in a review. That being said, on with the story!

"Dude that totally reeked of awesomeness" Jay said walking up to Chris the minute he stepped backstage with Stephanie.

"I know, did you see the look on Vince's face?" Chris said making a mental note to get a copy of the show. This was one show that he definitely wanted to watch over and over again.

Trish and Stephanie were hugging and jumping up and down. Things had gone so much better than planned that it was unreal in a way. Stephanie pulled away from Trish and walked up to Chris. "When did you call my mom?"

"Do you remember a bathroom break at the airport?" Chris asked.

"Yes," Stephanie said.

"Well, I didn't go to the bathroom," Chris smirked. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "I just couldn't throw you completely to the wolves now could I?"

"Actually, you probably should have," Hunter said walking up to the happy couple.

Jay immediately walked up beside of Chris when he noticed Dave and Ric not far behind Hunter. He also could see that Hunter was up to something that wasn't good. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Chris Benoit stood beside of Stephanie with Trish beside of him.

"Hunter, will you never learn? Did I not just tell you to stay out of my business?" Chris asked.

Hunter laughed out loud. Chris thought that he could just tell him what to do. That had to be the best joke that he had heard all night. "You know Jericho, you should have known that by bringing my ex-wife back that I would be in your business."  
  
Stephanie stood there looking at Hunter and felt nothing for him. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt this but Hunter, I'm not your ex-wife. I'm not your ex-anything and never was much to your disappointment."

"You know, I really enjoyed working with you and I know you enjoyed working with me," Hunter said smugly reaching out to touch her hair. Suddenly he felt his hand being slapped and turned his anger towards Chris.  
  
Chris immediately got in Hunter's face and went nose to nose with him. "I told you to stay out of my business you jackass! What part of that didn't you understand?"

Hunter's fury rolled over him. How dare this punk think that he could tell him what to do! "You know Jericho, I think that it's about time that you got the ass kicking that you deserved."

Benoit decided now was the time to re-direct Hunter's anger. "You know, I think you need to rethink that. Chris doesn't have what you want. I do." He smiled and patted the World Championship belt on his shoulder. "You know, I loved making you tap and would love to do it again sometime."

Hunter opened his mouth to speak and decided against it. Now was not the time. He nodded his head at Ric and Dave before storming off down the hall. Now was time to talk to the boss and figure out how in the hell this could have happened. They quickly stomped off to regroup and come up with something to end this farce of a relationship between Chris and Stephanie.

"Thanks man, but I could have taken him," Chris said slapping Benoit on the back.

"Well, sometimes Hunter is all talk. I just got tired of hearing him talk. I have made him tap before and I'm sure I'll be doing again," Benoit said with a toothless smile.

Chris and Jay laughed while Trish immediately went and hugged Stephanie. "You know, I say we just get out here. Let's go back to the hotel, get cleaned up, and go celebrate the return of Stephanie McMahon," Trish said grinning from ear to ear.

"Sounds good to me," Jay said walking up beside of Trish kissing her on the cheek.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get the hell out of here," Chris said grabbing Stephanie's hand.

The four of them quickly grabbed their bags and headed out of the arena. As they were joking and kidding, they didn't notice that Vince was standing in the shadows watching them. His eyes narrowed with his frustration and he knew he had to do something. He couldn't just let her come back as if nothing had happened.

"It sucks doesn't it Vince?" Hunter said walking up behind the owner.

"You have no clue," Vince said with an irritated look on his face. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, but I think there just might be something that Evolution can help you with," Hunter said with a smirk on his face.

"I think I like the sound of that. Let's go to my office and have a little chat," Vince said with an evil grin.

"Man, that was great!" Stephanie said still gushing over her return. "Did you see the look on my dad's face when mom told him that there was nothing he could do? I so need a copy of that broadcast."

"Don't worry sweets, I've already took care of that for you," Jay said winking at Stephanie.

"What in the hell do you think you are doing? Are you flirting with my woman in front of me?" Chris asked in mock anger.

"Don't worry Chrissy-wissy, you can flirt with me," Trish said batting her eyes.

"Ok, now, that's enough," Stephanie said with a little fire in her eyes.

"Princess is jealous," Chris said smugly.

"Am not," Stephanie said with a shake of her head.

"Are too," Chris said still smiling smugly.

"Am NOT!" Stephanie shouted.

"Are TOO," Chris shouted back.

Suddenly Stephanie grabbed Chris by his shirt and kissed the air right out of him. Chris wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to himself as he could. It was if there was nobody else around and the vehicle ceased to exist. It was just the two of them and they were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't know they were at the hotel.

"Ok you two, knock it off. We're here," Jay said with a smirk on his face.

Chris and Stephanie reluctantly pulled apart from each other. He grinned at her and kissed her on the nose. "I could get used to this."

"I hope you do because I don't intend to go anywhere," Stephanie said while nuzzling her nose against his.

"Jeez, you two, knock it off already. You're about to make me sick with all this smoochiness," Jay said rolling his eyes. Trish reached over and punched him in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" Jay asked.

"For not seeing romance when it's right in front of you," Trish huffed.

"Ok, let's go in and get settled," Chris said changing the subject.

They all got out of the vehicle and headed towards the front desk. Chris had made reservations for a double bed.

In their line of business, it really did come in handy. Couples fought and the guys usually got kicked of the room or roommates came back to the room drunk ticking off the person they were rooming with. It was a little known fact that eventually somebody was going to need a place to crash. It was just the way of the wrestling world.

After getting the room keys, they quickly walked to the elevator noticing the bar in the back corner. Chris looked at Jay while nodding his head at the entrance to the bar. "Do you see what I see?"

Jay looked over towards the direction of Chris's head and nodded. "Bar noted for CLB and Y2J total takeover."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Stephanie said looking confused.

Trish laughed and patted her friend on the shoulder. "It's their way of saying, 'We are going to that bar.'"

"Oh, I've been away for way too long," Stephanie said shaking her head.

"I'll agree with that," Chris said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Way too long."

Jay and Trish looked at each other with goofy smiles on their faces. It was finally happening, after all this time of watching their two closest friends make goo-goo eyes at each other behind each other's back, they were finally together. Jay reached down and kissed Trish softly on the forehead before the elevator doors finally opened.

"Ok, we'll meet right here in say 45 minutes," Chris said checking his watch.

"You got it C-man," Jay said grabbing Trish's hand and heading towards their room.

Chris found their room and unlocked the door. He held his arm out and nodded his head towards the room. Stephanie walked into the room, dropped her bags on the floor, and plopped herself down on the bed.

"Uh Princess, what are you doing?" Chris asked unable to keep his eyes off of her.

"I'm testing the bed out," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, ok," Chris said trying to keep in mind out of the gutter and failing miserably. "Um, do you want the bathroom first?"

"No, you go ahead. I can do most of my touching up out here. Besides, you reek," Stephanie said scrunching her nose in mock disgust. "I demand that you take a shower right now."

Chris smiled a sheepish grin and grabbed his bag. "You know Princess, if you want to join me, please feel free."

Stephanie's mouth dropped open and Chris cackled. He quickly shut the door noticing that she had grabbed a pillow to throw at him. He heard the pillow hit the door and snickered. "You know, I know you have a lot of experience at this stuff and you know you want me."

Stephanie stood outside of the bathroom door and fought the urge to just waltz her way in there. Of course, she wouldn't do that. She couldn't do that. She heard the water running in the shower and Chris getting in the shower. A trademark smirk came on her face. She was Stephanie McMahon, damn it! There wasn't anything that she couldn't do.

She quietly opened the door and walked in. It was a little foggy, as Chris seemed to be taking a hot shower. She quickly looked around and found an ice bucket. She quietly exited the bathroom and quickly headed out of the room. She had noticed the ice machine as she was getting off the elevator. She quickly filled it and crept quickly back into the room.

She heard Chris humming in the shower and had to stop herself from laughing out loud. She never thought he would be a hummer. She figured that he would be a singer. Then again, he could be a shower singer. He just might not be in the mood to sing. She quickly re-entered the bathroom quietly. If she wanted to do this, she had to act quickly. She was running out of time.

She turned the faucet on and filled the ice bucket with water. It took all her will power not to cackle like a mad scientist cause she was going to get him so good. She finally filled it full and turned the water off. She then quietly put the toilet seat down so that she had a stool. She stood on the toilet and peaked over the curtain but could only see his head. It was enough of a target for her. She poured the bucket over his head, jumped off the toilet, and ran back into the room cackling the whole way.

"STEPHANIE!" Chris shouted at the top of his lungs. Jeez, was she trying to kill him? That water she had thrown on his head was freezing cold. He stood under the hot spray hoping to head up what she had frozen. He then quickly cut the shower off and started drying off. "Princess, oh Princess," he muttered out loud while drying off. "You know, that is so going to cost you."

Stephanie busted out laughing. Just hearing the way he yelled her name was just priceless. She had never heard a frozen C-man before now and she was so going to cherish the moment. She was lying on the bed as if she didn't have a care in the world when Chris finally stepped out of the bathroom.

"Did you enjoy that Princess?" Chris asked walking over in front of her bed.

"Immensely, thanks for asking," Stephanie said with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed that," Chris said walking over to the side. "You know, I will get you back for that. It won't be right now but it will happen one day."

"Promises, promises," Stephanie said wishing he wasn't standing there in just a towel. She couldn't stop her eyes from watching the water from his hair drip onto his chest slowly running down his body to places unseen. She looked up into his face and saw a fire in his eyes that she had never seen before.

Chris couldn't stop himself from reaching down and kissing her on the lips. When her lips parted, he couldn't stop himself from tasting her. As their tongues dueled over control of the situation, a fire slowly started burning in the pits of their stomachs. Stephanie put her hands in his hair and moaned at what he was making her feel.

Suddenly a knock on the door tore them apart. "Are you guys ready yet?" Jay asked from the other side.

"Just a second," Chris hollered cussing the timing of his best friend. He looked back at Stephanie a smiled a wry grin. "We're so not done with this discussion."

"Not by a long shot," she whispered grinning sadly. "You'd better get dressed. I'll let them in."

Chris walked back into the bathroom while Stephanie answered the door. Trish, Jay, and Chris Benoit walked in. "I found Benoit wandering the halls and invited him. Hope that's cool." Jay said looking at Stephanie and smiling.

"Of course it is," Stephanie said shaking her head with a smile. She turned to look at Benoit. "Are you sure you want to be seen out in public with us? It just might not be a good thing for your career."

Benoit chuckled and said, "You know, I've heard that a lot in my life but I've turned out ok so far. I do all my talking the ring. That's all anybody needs to know."

"Point well taken," Chris said walking out of the room. He walked over beside of Stephanie and threw his arm around her shoulder. "Are we ready?"

"I think we are," Stephanie said grinning at him.

"Then let's go celebrate," Chris said.

Stephanie and Trish led the way to the elevators while Chris, Benoit, and Jay walked behind them. Jay and Chris were too busy checking out their women's butts to notice the exasperated look on Benoit's face. It was the only downside to not having a girlfriend; he always kind of felt like a third wheel.

"So Benoit, do what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Chris asked after they were all on the elevator.

"I was walking down the hall minding my own business when Jay walked up and begged me to come out with you guys," Benoit said with a bored expression on his face.

"Dude, that's not true," Jay said looking a little irritated.

"Oh really?" Chris said noticing the strange look on Jay's face.

"Ok, maybe it is true but dude, did you have to tell them I begged you? That was so not cool," Jay huffed looking at Benoit.

"Guys, are you going to stay on the elevator or can we go to the bar now?" Trish said with an impish grin on her face.

"Bar," Chris said exiting the elevator while Benoit and Jay followed him. Chris couldn't help but notice that they could argue better than two women arguing over a clearance item that there was only one of the size and color and both had their hands on it determined to have it.

"I so did not beg you that hard," Jay muttered.

"Ok, what do you call this? 'Please Benoit, you've got to come. They're our closest friends and we owe it to them to celebrate the beginning of their relationship.'" Benoit said with a slight smile on his face.

"That was one friend trying to make sure that another friend didn't stay alone," Jay muttered.

"Boys, I think that's enough," Chris said grinning from ear to ear.

Trish and Stephanie rolled their eyes at the conversation. It was a typical male argument that neither side would win. They grinned at each other as they found their table. Trish winked at Stephanie and said, "Guys, we're going to check out the jukebox. We'll be right back."

Trish grabbed Stephanie by the arm and led her away while the Benoit and Jay were still arguing. Chris sat there with a silly smile on his face listening to his friends argue. He wasn't going to get in the middle of it but he would sit back and enjoy the show.

"Ok, why are we here and not with our men?" Stephanie asked.

"Is it that obvious? Man, I've got to get better at this around you," Trish said her face showing her frustration. As quickly as it was there, it was gone. She smiled and said, "I think we need to help Benoit in the 'lady' department."

"Ok, is he buying something for his mom?" Stephanie asked.

Trish busted out laughing. "No silly, I think we need to find him a girlfriend."

Stephanie's eyes widened. "Oh, ok. Well, let's start with who isn't available. I'm not going to be able to help you because I've been gone so fill me in."

"Let's see, you and I are totally out, of course. Stacy is seeing Test, though God only knows why, Gail and Molly are seeing guys outside of the company. Victoria and Steven are still going strong. Who does that leave?" Trish said her mind working overtime.

"What about Lillian? Who's she seeing?" Stephanie asked.

"You know, I think that might be the one," Trish said with a sneaky grin. "She's been out of the dating scene for a while. Her last relationship burned her pretty bad."

"What about Benoit? Is he seeing anybody?" Stephanie asked.

"Nope, already asked around earlier at the show. You know, we owe this to him," Trish said.

"Yeah, we're happy so everybody deserves to be happy," Stephanie said grinning from ear to ear.

"Before we do this, we can't tell Chris or Jay," Trish said with a serious look on her face.

"Why not? They could help," Stephanie said.

"Look, Jay is not too fond of my matchmaking skills at all. I don't think Chris would be too thrilled to know that I've roped you into it so let's just say this is for you and I only," Trish said.

"Ok, I've not got a problem with that," Stephanie said. "We need to talk away from the guys but not now. By the looks of things, Chris could use our help."

Stephanie had noticed Chris looking at her with a begging look. It looked as though Benoit and Jay were still arguing. She noticed Chris put his hands together in front of himself begging her silently to save him from his misery. She busted out laughing but grabbed Trish by the arm and went back to the table.

"Whatever, I think I've had enough of this conversation," Benoit said taking a sip of his beer.

"I'll second that motion," Chris said with a smirk.

"Motion granted, that conversation is now closed by the powers of the board," Stephanie said in a very professional tone.

"So what do we do now?" Chris asked putting his arm around Stephanie and hugging her close to his side.

"We celebrate the return of the Billion Dollar Princess," Stephanie said with a bitchy look. "Because she's back with a vengeance!"


	8. 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination. The story is purely for entertainment purposes and to make Smoochy Dreamers dreams come true;-)

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates on this one. Home is Where the Heart is took over the muses completely for a short period of time. Things are back to normal now, so on with the story! As always, all reviews, good or bad, are welcomed and very much appreciated!

"Stephanie, would you please hurry the hell up?" Chris said exasperation evident in his tone.

"Would you please shut the hell up?" Stephanie muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Chris said standing at the bathroom door watching her get ready.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway?" Stephanie said while brushing her hair.

Chris walked into the bathroom and behind Stephanie. He made eye contact with her in the mirror. "It's simple Princess, I'm ready to go home."

"Home?" Stephanie said her brush stopping in mid-stride. "Home as in _your_ home?"

"Well, yeah. What home did you think I was talking about?" Chris asked.

Stephanie quickly finished brushing her hair and turned around. Looking at Chris, she could see the puzzlement in his face. She didn't mean to sound like she didn't want to go home with him but she had things that she had to do at her house. "I thought maybe you were talking about _my_ home."

"I take it that we don't know where we are going yet," Chris said summing up the situation in one sentence.

"Evidently not," Stephanie said with a sad look on her face. "I know you need to go home and I need to go home but I don't want to be without you."

"I agree with that," Chris said pulling her into his arms. "So how do we fix this?"

Stephanie was quiet while wrapping her arms around Chris. She wasn't sure exactly how they were going to handle it. She lived in Connecticut and he lived in Florida. It wasn't really that far away from each via airline but they were still living in 2 different states; a complication that neither one of them had really considered before now.

Chris was quietly contemplating their situation also. It just dawned on him that his relationship with Stephanie was going to be really complicated, more so that what he had originally thought. "Look, we've waited so long to be together; we'll find a way."

"I know, it's just I never thought about us living in two different states before now," Stephanie said closing her eyes.

"I didn't either. You know, technically there's a lot of things that we don't know about each other," Chris said.

Stephanie pulled herself back to look in his eyes. "What do we do now?"

Chris smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "We compromise. I'll go home with you for a few days and then you come home with me a few days."

"You make it sound so simple, like we can just do what we want when we want," Stephanie said with a sad smile.

"It _is_ that simple Princess. We are both adults living on our own. Who can tell us what we can do and what we can't do?" Chris asked.

Stephanie's smile took his breath away. "You're right, you're absolutely right."

"I'm always right Princess, don't forget that," Chris said sarcastically.

"Be careful what you say, it will be held against you at a later time," Stephanie said with a fake smile.

"I guess we had better get moving," Chris said kissing her on the forehead before walking out of the bathroom.

Hunter walked thru the airport with Ric and Dave as if he owned it. He pulled his glasses off and looked at Ric. "Natch, have you been thinking of a plan yet?"

"Have I, the Nature Boy, been thinking of a plan? Trips, I'm always thinking of a plan. My mind is like a constant whirlwind of activity all the time, not to mention a few other places," Ric said lifting his eyebrows up and down.

"You know, I always get what I want and what I want is Stephanie McMahon," Hunter said a glazed look on his face. "I want her more than I've ever wanted anything before."

Ric patted Hunter on the back. "Don't worry about it, it will happen. Evolution always gets what it wants."

Dave quietly stood by taking everything in. Randy was one of his closest friends and he hated what had happened to him. He hated knowing that he was a part of it. Unknown to Hunter and Ric, Dave stayed in contact with Randy on a regular basis.

When he first joined Evolution, it was just the shot in the arm that his career needed. The next thing he knew, he was flying around the world in leer jets, riding in limousines, and had more women hit on him than ever before. He was living the high life and loving it until he started noticing things.

It wasn't any one particular thing; it was the little things at first. Slipping girls money to go to their rooms was the first thing he noticed that was odd. They were Evolution, why would they have to pay women to be with them. It hit him with a cold hard reality check after Randy got booted; Evolution was all about power and money and nothing else. Friendship did not exist in Evolution.

"What do you think Dave?" Hunter said his eyes narrowing as he noticed that Dave seemed to be in his own world. He didn't like it when people did not pay attention to him. Especially a member of Evolution; that was just not acceptable. 

"I think that when you're in Evolution, you don't have to think. You just destroy," Dave said putting his mask back on carefully and slowly.

Hunter grinned and slapped him on the back. "That's my boy. You hear him Natch, he sounds just like me."

"WOOOO, I like the sound of that," Ric said grinning from ear to ear.

"Now back to business, I want Stephanie. I will have her, willing or unwilling; it makes no difference to me. With her by my side, I could take over the wrestling world. I would have the power and the respect of the McMahon name," Hunter said with a gleam in his eyes.

"What in the hell does she see in Jericho?" Ric asked shaking his head.

"I don't know but I'm going to make damn sure that that relationship doesn't last long. Jericho's a dumb ass that doesn't even have a clue to what he has," Hunter said closing his hand into a fist. He shut his eyes and slowly opened them. "It doesn't matter; we've got daddy's permission and that's all we need."

"Home sweet home," Stephanie said opening the door the to her house. She reached back to pick up her bag but it wasn't there. She turned around and noticed that Chris had it in his hand. "I'm a big girl, I can carry my own luggage, you know."

"Yes, I know. I'm just being a gentleman," Chris said smiling sweetly.

Stephanie smiled back and walked in. "Just set them down there."

Chris set down the bags and looked around Stephanie's house. He walked over to the mantel of the fireplace and saw the pictures of her family. There were various pictures of all different ages of her and Shane. Some pictures with mom and a few with dad at happier times in their lives.

"This is nice," Chris said looking around and noticing how neat things were. "But I bet you $100 right now that you don't clean this house."

Stephanie grinned and said, "How did you guess?"

"I've been in a room with you for two days. You're messy," Chris said grinning from ear to ear. "So, you going to give me the tour or am I on my own?"

"You are on your own for now, I've got to sort thru this mail," Stephanie said already thumbing thru her mail and checking it out.

"Ok, I'll be back," Chris said in a mocking voice.

He walked into the kitchen and was fairly surprised. She seemed to have all the latest appliances from a flat top stove to a refrigerator with a TV on the door. There were plenty of cabinets and she evidently like roosters. The whole kitchen was covered in them. Shaking his head, he walked down the hall.

The first room on the left was the bathroom. It was bright and cheery with a beach theme to it. "So she likes the beach, so noted for future reference," he muttered to himself before walking down to the next room.

The next room was her office. He grinned as he noticed papers everywhere on her desk. He knew in his gut that if he moved something, she would know it. He noticed the Women's Championship Belt in a case hanging on the wall. He then noticed that there were pictures hanging on the walls.

He walked around the room stunned at the amount of pictures she had. There was at least one picture of her with every wrestler that had ever worked with the company, from the time she was a child till she was 'fired'. He grinned when he saw a picture of her and him right after the King of the Ring kiss backstage. Both of them looked flushed and happy which was exactly how they felt after it was all said and done.

He walked out of the room and noticed that there was only one more room left to look into. He opened the door and grinned. "Who would have ever thought the Princess does her own laundry?" He noticed the washer and dryer along with an ironing board and an iron on the wall. Shaking his head, he exited the room and walked back into the living room.

"Nice house Stephanie, where's the bedrooms?" Chris asked.

"Upstairs," Stephanie said reading some of her mail. "Go ahead, take a look."

Chris walked up the steps and noticed there were only two rooms. He took a chance and walked into the room on the left first. Bingo, it was Stephanie's room. He walked around on the cream covered carpet looking at more pictures of her and her family. He grinned when he noticed the huge tan colored teddy bear with a red bow tie on the bed. He couldn't stop himself from picking that up.

"That's Freddy," Stephanie said smiling as he walked into the room.

"Nice to meet you Freddy," Chris said to the bear. "By the looks of him, you've had him for a while."

"That would be correct, I got him for my 8th birthday from my mom," Stephanie said sitting down on the bed looking at the bear. "He's my most prized possession."

"Here," Chris said handing her the bear. She took it out of his hands and placed it back on the bed.

"So, would you like to see the guest room?" Stephanie asked.

"That would probably be a good idea," Chris said grinning.

"Follow me," Stephanie said leading him out of her bedroom and into the bedroom across the hall. "This is it. It's a little small but the bed is full size and it's comfortable."

"It's great, just as long as I have a place to sleep, I'm good," Chris said plopping down on the bed. He kicked his shoes off and patted the bed beside of him. "Come on, lay down with me."

Stephanie grinned, kicked off her shoes, and did as he requested. He put his arm around her shoulder and she put her arm around his stomach with her head resting on his shoulder. They were content holding each other for a few minutes.

"Stephanie?"

"What Chris?"

"Why do you want to be with me?"

"Why?"

"Well, I think we need to know what the other wants."

"Ok, well, I know that I love spending time with you. You make me laugh and I haven't laughed in such a long time. Coming from my family, I think you can understand why I haven't laughed. You have this way of looking at me and I'm the only person in the room. You make me forget my problems and when they do get in the way, you push them right back out of the way," Stephanie said looking up at him. "Your turn."

"Wow, where do I start?" Chris said with a small grin. "I think you are one of the funniest people that I have ever met. You've got this way of making people smile even when they are having their worst day ever. I think that you're beautiful, smart, and way too good for me. I'm still in shock that you're with me."

Stephanie's eyes widened at the last statement. "If anybody is too good for anybody, you're the one that is too good for me."

Chris chuckled at the look on her face, "I'm going to have to disagree with you there Princess."

"I tell you want, let's just agree to disagree," Stephanie said with a small smile.

"Deal," Chris said spitting a little in his hand.

Stephanie laughed out loud and did the exact same thing as Chris. She hadn't done the 'special' handshake since her and Shane were kids. She was almost giddy with laughter when she shook hands with Chris.

"I take it that you haven't done that in a while but it brought back a good memory," Chris said reading her like a book.

"I haven't done that since Shane and I were kids," Stephanie said with a smile.

"Glad to bring back good memories," Chris said with a grin.

"I hope that is all that we will have about each other is good memories," Stephanie said with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Reality check dear, we're going to have to take the good and the bad. You know, there will be a time when we really don't agree on something and it will cause problems," Chris said trying to be realistic. Men and women argued; it was a little known fact of life.

"Nope, not with us," Stephanie said with confidence.

"And just what makes us so special Princess?" Chris asked intrigued by the confidence in her voice.

Stephanie leaned up and kissed him softly. "Because you're the King of the World and I'm the Billion Dollar Princess," she said smugly.

"Oh really?" Chris said with a gleam in his eyes.

It was a gleam in that Stephanie had seen before. Chris was up to something, she wasn't sure what it was, but he was definitely up to something. She looked at him and then noticed how bright his eyes. "Uh Chris, what are you doing?"

"Who me?" Chris asked innocently.

"Yeah you," Stephanie said with a grin. "What are you doing?"

Chris kissed her softly on the nose before tickling her sides. She busted out laughing and was trying to get away when he pinned her underneath him. "Now, I've got you!" He then started tickling her every spot that he could think of finding all of her most ticklish spots within a few minutes.

"Please stop! You're going to make me pee in my pants," Stephanie gasped out thru her laughter.

Chris immediately stopped tickling her looking at her seriously. "I _so_ don't want you peeing on me."

"Oh really, I've just filed that for future reference," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eye.

"Ok, now you've had it," Chris said tickling her all over again.

She finally got enough leverage to flip him over to where she was on top of him. She then proceeded to find all of his ticklish spots much to his chagrin. He grabbed her arms and flipped her again holding her by her wrists firmly but not harshly.

"Truce?" he said his breathing labored from all the exertion.

"Truce," Stephanie said with a small grin.

Suddenly, it hit both of them the position that they were in. Chris leaned down and kissed her gently nibbling on her bottom lip until she opened her lips. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he released her hands to place them on her face while she wrapped her arms around him.

The heat that started as a spark slowly turned into a raging fire that was starting to burn out of control. Chris had moved his hands off of her face to place them on her hips. Stephanie had slid her hands under his shirt feeling the heat off of her skin.

The doorbell rang constantly but was ignored by Stephanie and Chris. In their minds, they were hearing bells ringing from being with each other. It never dawned on either one of them that it was the doorbell. Finally, when Shane hollered, they pulled apart reluctantly. The real world had come tumbling around them with a crashing halt.

"Stephanie, are you home?" Shane said wanting to check on his baby sister.

"Well, shit," Stephanie muttered under her breath. "Yeah, I'll be down in a second," she hollered looking at Chris with an apologetic look on her face.

Chris laughed and smoothed her hair out of her face a little. "It's ok Princess, we were just getting started."

"I know but I wanted to finish," Stephanie said with a look in her eyes that took Chris's breath away.

"You keep looking at me like that and we're going to finish it with your brother downstairs," Chris said with a growl in his voice.

He immediately stood up and held out his hand. Stephanie placed her hand in his and got up off of the bed. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Let's go see big brother."

"Wait a second," Chris said with a gleam in his eyes. "You might want to check your make up before we go down there. It seems as though your lipstick is smeared."

Stephanie punched him in the arm and walked over to the mirror on the wall. She fixed herself and straightened out her hair as best as she could. She then grabbed Chris by the hand and practically pulled him down the stairs behind her.

"Hey Shane," Stephanie said with a smile on her face.

"Hey sis," Shane said with an eyebrow raised. "Well, I saw Raw, I saw you two kissing, and I really thought it was part of this special unique story line that dad had come up with until I got a phone call from him right after the show."

"Sorry to disappoint you but it's not a story line," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Wait a minute, do I look disappointed? No, I don't. I think that it's great that you two finally, after all this time, are hooking up," Shane said with a grin.

"What do you mean after all this time?" Stephanie asked.

"What I think he is trying to say is that we didn't do a very good job of hiding our feelings from everybody else," Chris said with a smile. He held out his hand for Shane to shake. "How have you been man? It's been a while."

Shane shook Chris's hand and said, "Yeah it has. I've been doing good. Or at least, I was doing good until the phone call from dad. You two have really pissed him off good."

"What else is new?" Stephanie said plopping down on her couch pulling Chris with her.

Shane sat down in the recliner across from the couple. "Well, I have to tell you, I'm a little worried this time. I mean, I've seen dad lose it before but not like this," Shane said with a worried look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"I think he is taking this personal. Hell, I know he is," Shane said letting out a deep breath and rubbing his eyes. "Look, as long as you're happy, I don't care who you are with. I'll help you in any way that I can but you had better watch your back."

"Why? What's going on?" Chris asked.

"I'm not sure but I _do_ know that dad and Hunter had a long meeting after you left," Shane said.

"Why does that not surprise me? Dad and Hunter, now there's a match made in hell," Stephanie muttered with an aggravated tone in her voice.

"You know, you might want to listen to your brother," Chris said looking at Shane.

At that moment, Chris and Shane had a silent but mutual understanding. They would do whatever it took to protect Stephanie. It didn't matter that they had to take on Vince. It didn't matter that Hunter was involved. All that matter was keeping Stephanie safe.

"You know if Hunter is involved, then Evolution is not far behind," Shane said looking at Chris.

"I know, Hunter can't do anything by himself," Chris said the anger in his eyes flashing.

Shane stood up and Stephanie, along with Chris, followed. "Ok, I've got to run. I just wanted to come by and tell you to keep your eyes open."

"Thanks Shane," Stephanie said walking up to her brother and giving him a hug. "It's nice to know that there is one decent man in the family.

"Thank mom for that," Shane said with a wry grin. He turned to look at Chris. "Take care of my baby sister man."

"I'll do more than take care of her, don't worry," Chris said with a small grin.

Shane turned and walked out the door with a smile on his face. He was still worried about her but not as bad as he was before he got there. She had Chris with her and that was a good thing. She was going to need him.

Shane knew how ruthless his father was when it came to getting his way. He also knew that sometimes his father was his own worst enemy. He only wanted his sister to be happy and if that was with Chris Jericho, then so be it. He knew that Chris would do whatever it took to keep her happy and safe.


	9. 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination. The story is purely for entertainment purposes, trust me, there is absolutely NO money being made from this;-)

Chris and Stephanie were sitting there perfectly content to watch television and cuddle. It was getting dark outside but they didn't have any specific plans other than just being with each other. In a lot of ways, it seemed like they had been together for a long time instead of just a few days.

"So tell me _Princess_, how's life been treating you the last new days?" Chris asked with a smug look on his face. He had to say that he was having the time of his life. Stephanie had the same kind of warped sense of humor that Chris had. It was totally great to finally _tell_ a joke without having to _explain_ the joke when he was finished.

"Well, to be honest, they've actually been pretty good," Stephanie said with a slight smile on her face. She had never been more comfortable around a man in her life. She got up in the mornings with her bed hair and grouchiness only to be greeted by Chris with his bed head and his 'take on the world' mentality.

It took him only one morning to learn that she needed one full cup of coffee before any 'serious' conversation could be started. Before that one cup of coffee, he took great delight in aggravating her _almost_ to the point of pissing her off. Once he got to _that_ point, he would pout a little and have a puppy dog face. She would usually just roll her eyes and grab her coffee cup wondering what on earth she had seen in Chris Jericho. By the time the coffee was in her, Chris had made her laugh at least a dozen times with his antics thus voiding her earlier question into oblivion not to be thought of again until the next morning.

In a lot of ways, they were a lot different but it worked for them and that was all that really mattered. It had taken them a few days to learn the read each other better than when they were friends. For some reason, they both acknowledged that they each had their faults and expected the other one to call them on it when needed to be.

"I have to say that _you_ look pretty damn good too," Chris said raising his eyes up and down making Stephanie laugh. They had had a few tense promising sexual moments but something always seemed to interrupt them. He was 'willing, ready, and able' but he didn't want to push Stephanie into something that she wasn't ready for. He could wait; for her, he could wait as long as it took.

"You're just too much sometimes," Stephanie said shaking her head. "I don't know why I like _you_ so much."

"It's because _I'm_ Y2J baby, the _hottest_ thing going in the wrestling world today," Chris said with another smug look on his face.

Stephanie smirked at him with her trademark smirk. "You know, I could make your life a total and complete living hell, _if _I wanted to."

"Now, why would you want to do something like that?" Chris asked with a grin.

Stephanie showed her trademark smirk again. "Look at who my father is and then ask me that again."

"Oh that's right, you _are_ the spawn of Satan, aren't you?" Chris said with a smirk on his face.

Stephanie grabbed a pillow off of the couch and popped him upside the head. He grinned at her and grabbed a pillow himself determined to get her back. She grinned and jumped up from the couch shouting, "Look mister, this is _my_ house and you are _not_ hitting me with that pillow."

"Oh really?" Chris said with a gleam in his eyes. If she thought for one minute that she could hit him with a pillow and get away with it, she was sorely mistaken. She needed to learn to not start something if she wasn't willing to finish it. He was just going to have to show her how things were going to be.

Stephanie grinned and ran behind the couch, "Oh really!" He needed to learn who made the rules in her house. He also needed to learn that they played by 'her' rules and not his. The sooner he learned that, the better off he would be. Until then, she would just have to show him how things worked.

Chris smiled and slowly got up from the couch, stalking his prey. Stephanie slowly walked around the couch away from him following his every move. When he moved towards her, she would go in the opposite direction. Each one was determined to have their way and the 'battle of the sexes' had officially begun.

"You know Princess, you picked the _wrong_ guy to have a pillow fight with," Chris said with a slight grin.

"_I_ didn't pick a fight. I hit you with a freaking pillow for calling me the and I quote, 'spawn of Satan.' _That_ is definitely _not_ starting a fight. _That_ is called retribution," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eye.

"Well, _you _hit _me_ and now _I have_ to hit you. Sorry Princess, that's how it works," Chris said moving quickly around the couch.

"_I _had a reason for hitting you, _you're_ doing it just for _spite_," Stephanie said quickly moving out of his way.

"Now Steph, you're _wounding_ my manly pride. You know that as a _ma_n, I just _can't_ let you hit me and then get away with it," Chris said chasing her around the couch.

The phone ringing brought them to an abrupt halt. Stephanie held up her hands in the form of a 'T' in order to call time out, which had become their little 'break' signal. This wasn't the first time the 'T' was brought out and they were both pretty sure that it wouldn't be the last. Chris nodded his head while Stephanie walked over and answered the phone.

"Hello," Stephanie said keeping one eye on Chris. She trusted him but only so far when she had the upper hand. He was capable of not minding the 'T' at times.

"Hey Steph," Trish said with excitement in her voice. "We _so_ need to talk about Benoit and Lillian. Can you talk right now?"

"Sure, just give me a minute to get into my office," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eye. She covered the receiver with her hand and said, "Give me five minutes and I'll be done."

"No problem," Chris said plopping down on the couch. "I'll be _right here_."

Stephanie quickly walked down the hallway, into her office, and shut the door. She started to walk towards her desk and changed her mind. She turned around and locked the door as a safety measure before sitting down in her computer chair. "Ok, I can talk now."  
  
"Great, well, my first question is are you coming to Chris's house later in the week?"

"Yes, that is the game plan," Stephanie answered.

"Ok, well, Lillian is going to visit me on Friday and Benoit is visiting Jay on Friday as well. Isn't that just great?" Trish said with a giddy voice.

"How did you pull that off?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, Jay is worried about Benoit being alone all the time so he called him up and invited him to come stay with us. He is making this almost _too_ easy for me," Trish said with a smug tone to her voice. "Anyway, when I found out that Benoit was coming, I couldn't stop myself from calling Lillian and inviting her over, without Jay knowing, of course."

"Of course," Stephanie said with a knowing look. "Next question, do you have enough room for the both of them along with us?"

"Yes, Benoit will have to sleep on the pull out couch but I don't think he will mind doing that for Lillian. Did I tell you that I caught him looking at her at the airport?"

"_No_," Stephanie said with a shocked voice. "Details girlfriend, give me details!"

"Well, we were walking to our planes when Jay went to get his ticket at the counter. I happened to notice that Lillian was standing by herself so I walked over and started talking to her. Then I just glanced at Benoit and he's just staring at her with the saddest puppy dog face that I have ever seen."

"Wow, Benoit with a puppy dog look; that's hard to imagine," Stephanie said with a grin.

"I know but it _wa_s there, I swear," Trish said with an excited tone to her voice. "Hold on a second."

Stephanie sat there listening to Trish tell Jay that she was on the phone. She wouldn't be but a few more minutes. She then covered the phone but Stephanie heard the smacking of lips and grinned. Some things never changed and she desperately hoped that Jay and Trish _never_ changed.

"Ok, I'm back," Trish said quietly. She was still stunned by Jay's kiss, which never ceased to amaze her. Every time they kissed, it always felt like the very first time they had kissed. She grinned as she heard Stephanie's response.

"Eeeww, the next time you decide to kiss Jay, make sure I can't hear the slurping noises," Stephanie said teasingly.

"Honey, the slurping _is_ the best part," Trish said cheekily.

"Ok, _way too much information_, back to the subject," Stephanie said shaking her head in amusement. "What time is everybody getting there?"

"Lillian will be here Friday night about 7 while Benoit is going to get here around noon," Trish said. "I can't believe how easy Jay is making this for us."

"Ok, we need a game plan," Stephanie said chewing her lip a little. "We need to send the guys out so they don't see Lillian until they get back."

"Ooooo, element of surprise, I like that," Trish said. She loved having Stephanie back in her life. She was always so good at planning and plotting. Whenever there was a snag, Stephanie would always know what to do to get out of it.

"Ok, here's what we do," Stephanie said with an excited tone in her voice. "Let's plan a cookout but later on in the day. We'll send the guys out for stuff around 6:30. That will give us time to warm Lillian up before Benoit and the guys get back."

"Sounds like a plan, Jay's coming back up the hall. Gotta go, I'll call you later," Trish said with an excited tone her voice. "I can hardly wait until Friday."

"Me either," Stephanie said with a grin. "Bye."

She noticed that Trish hung up without saying good bye. She didn't think much about it. Trish was forever just hanging up the phone without saying goodbye. She turned around and opened the door to see what Chris was getting into.

She turned around the corner and said, "Chris," when a pillow came out from nowhere and hit her square in the mouth. Chris leaned against the wall with a grin on his face.

"I guess we're _even_ now Princess," Chris said with a grin.

Stephanie stalked over to her victim with one thing in mind; revenge. She smiled an innocent smile and walked over in front of Chris. "You know what, I would say that you got me pretty good there."

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Chris asked smugly which was becoming a habit with him. "I _am_ the King of the World, after all."

"Yes, you are," Stephanie said with a knowing look on her face. "You are also one of the _sexiest_ men alive."

"Keep talking Princess," Chris said with a grin. "I'm _liking_ this kind of talk."

"Well, you are just _so_ hot and it's all that I can do to keep my hands off of you," Stephanie said taking her finger and running it down his shirt. She moved in to kiss him and stopped. Chris felt her breath on his lips, "All I want to do is just _pounce_ on you."

"Pounce away baby, pounce away," Chris said with lust showing in his eyes. "I'll show what King of the World _really_ means."

"I bet you could," Stephanie said her lips still hovering on his. She then smiled an evil smile and said, "Too bad you're not going to find out how hot _I _am anytime soon."

Stephanie turned and walked away from Chris who looked to be in pain. She calmly sat down on the couch and turned on the TV relishing in the fact that she left him hanging big time. She took her hands and put them behind her head while putting her feet up.

"Uh Princess, what just happened here?" Chris asked with an unsure tone to his voice.

"You just found out that paybacks are a _bitch_ and so am _I_," Stephanie said with a smirk.

Dave walked around the room like a caged animal. He didn't want to do what Hunter wanted him to do. He didn't mind do a lot of things as long as it didn't involve breaking the law. This time, it _was_ breaking the law and Dave wanted absolutely no part of it.

"How do I tell them that?" Dave asked himself walking to look out the window. He closed his eyes and wished that something, anything would pop into his head and get him out of this mess. He opened his eyes and suddenly knew what he had to do.

He walked over and picked up his cell phone. He went through the directory on his phone and hit the button to dial him. He just hoped he answered. He needed his help and he needed it fast. He smiled as he heard the voice on the other line pick up and say, "Hello."

"Hey it's Dave, I need your help man," Dave said with a sad look on his face. "I'm getting in over my head big time. Can I come visit you tomorrow?"

"Dave didn't look too happy with our plan," Hunter said sitting at the bar with Ric. His face matched his anger. The one thing that he didn't like was not getting his way. He hoped Dave wasn't stupid enough to walk away from the chance of a lifetime. "I didn't like that look on his face at all."

Ric nodded in agreement. "I know, I saw it too." He was surprised to see the look of shock and horror in Dave's eyes when Hunter mentioned his plan. Ric was expecting the shocked look but he damn sure wasn't expecting the horror look in Dave's eyes. He thought the man was tougher than that.

"Damn it," Hunter said the frustration evident in his voice. "It doesn't get any better than us and he is going to throw it all away over nothing."

"You have to remember, he used to be a cop," Ric said smiling at the lady who brought him another drink. He waited for her to walk off before he continued his conversation. "I'm sure he is just having a hard time with breaking the law."

"Breaking what law? We are the law; the law of Raw," Hunter said with a smug look on his face. "The sooner he understands that, the better off he will be." He had every faith that Dave would come around. Dave knew who was in charge. It was only a matter of time before everybody else did too.

"Baby, please, you _know_ you want me," Chris said whining from the outside of Stephanie's bedroom door. He couldn't believe that she had cut him off without ever even giving him any. He knew he had screwed up royally this time and he didn't have a clue on how to fix it.

"Not right now, I don't," Stephanie said while combing her hair.

Stephanie was still mad about the sneak attack on the pillow. Chris had been mentally cursing himself over the wisdom of his actions. He just knew that they were going to 'do it'. The only problem with that while Stephanie got his hopes up earlier; she had shot them down just as fast and kept shooting them down quicker than he could beg for it.

"Sweetheart, can I at least get a good night kiss?" Chris begged.

"Nope, not tonight," Stephanie said with a small grin looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"But why not? I mean, sure, it was pretty crappy of me to do a sneak attack with the pillow and all but come on, it was just fun and games," Chris said with a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Oh, well, I don't _feel _like kissing you right now," Stephanie said walking over to her door. "I'm serious. I didn't sneak attack you and I _don't _appreciate you doing it to me that way."

"I'm sorry," Chris said leaning his head against the door with his eyes shut. He was mentally berating himself when the door opened with him not expecting it.

Suddenly, Chris's eyes widened as he fell face first into the floor while Stephanie stood there laughing. He groaned and rubbed his head. He knew from the way his forehead felt that he had carpet burn and it hurt. Damn, was everything determined to make his life miserable today?

"Are you ok?" Stephanie asked with a happy tone in her voice. She couldn't stand there and pretend that what she just saw happen wasn't funny because it was freaking hilarious. The look on his face before he hit the ground was almost enough to get him off of her shit list, almost but not quite.

"I think so though we might need to check and see if there is any skin left on my forehead," Chris said slowly standing up. He turned to look at Stephanie and scowled after noticing her smiling from ear to ear. "You don't have to be so happy about it."

"Oh yes, I do," Stephanie said with a smirk. "You know, that _was_ pretty damn funny."

"No, it _wasn't_," Chris said with a scowl on his face.

"Oh but yes it _was_," Stephanie said with a smirk. "_I_ thought it was _hilarious_."

"I'm hurt," Chris said with a wounded look on his face. "There I was, sincerely apologizing to you from the bottom of my heart and I land on my face. Then I look up to see said person that I was apologizing to laughing in my face."

"Oh you poor baby," Stephanie said patting him on the cheek. "If you can't take it, then don't dish it out."

"I wasn't the one that started the stupid pillow fight," Chris said like a spoiled child not getting his way.

"I didn't start a 'pillow fight'. I just hit you with the pillow. You're the one that decided it was a pillow fight," Stephanie said using logic to explain her actions.

Chris looked at her with an astonished look on his face. "You mean to tell me that you are trying to rationalize this by saying it wasn't a fight."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"I don't believe this," Chris said leaning against the door with his eyes shut. He opened his eyes and looked at Stephanie. "Are we having our first fight?"

"No, I think we are having a disagreement, not our first fight."

"Oh, ok, just checking," Chris said with a smile. "Now, how about that goodnight kiss?"

Stephanie smiled and walked in front of Chris. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "Good night Chris." She then pushed him out of the door slamming it shut before she had a lapse of judgement and changed her mind. "Sweet dreams."


	10. 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination. The story is purely for entertainment purposes, trust me, there is absolutely NO money being made from this;-)

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates on this one. Anyway, on to the story and if you would, please review! Thanks!

"Come on McMahon, we're going to miss our flight," Chris hollered up the stairs.

"Keep your underwear on, I'm coming," Stephanie said grabbing her bags off the bed and heading down the steps. She glanced at her wristwatch and smirked. "See, I still have 5 minutes to spare."

Chris shook his head but wisely didn't speak. Traveling with Stephanie had definitely been an adventure of sorts. He was crazy about the girl but he never understood how she could wait until the last minute to get ready for things. It was starting to get on his nerves.

Stephanie noticed the strained look on Chris's face and mentally groaned. She knew that look. She had seen it often enough the last few days to know that it was the _'I'm irritated at_ _Stephanie'_ look. She shook her head. She wasn't about to apologize for anything. She was Stephanie McMahon. "You know, you can get _that_ look off of your face now."

"What look?" Chris attempted to ask with a puzzled look only to fail miserably. He looked more like he had just swallowed something horrible and was getting ready to throw it all back up. He tried to look innocent but just couldn't pull it off.

"Don't play games with me," Stephanie said with an irritated tone to her voice. "You know what look I'm talking about."

"Well, if my girlfriend had 'given it up' instead of 'leading me on', then maybe it wouldn't be there," Chris muttered saying out loud what he was thinking; without realizing that he had done it until he saw the fire in Stephanie's eyes. "Oh shit," he thought to himself.

"Well, if my boyfriend would act like a man instead of a spoiled brat, then maybe he would have gotten lucky," Stephanie said throwing her nose up in the air.

"I'm not doing this, I'm not arguing with you," Chris said grabbing their bags and heading out the door. "If we're going to make the flight, we have to leave right now."

Stephanie stomped towards the door still pissed at what Chris had said. She also could be a very stubborn woman and if he didn't watch it, it would be quite a while before she gave him what he wanted. With that thought and an evil smile, she followed him out the door.

"How in the _hell _did you get into this mess?" Randy asked looking at Dave. He sat there shaking his head as he listened to Dave explain Hunter's 'brilliant' plan. The only thing that was brilliant about it was the fact that Hunter was having Dave do all the work while he came out smelling like a rose. Some things never changed and he knew for a fact that Hunter would not and could not change ever.

"Damned if I know," Dave said rubbing his head. "You know, you're the lucky one." He envied Randy from the day they kicked him out of Evolution. He had the freedom to do what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. He didn't answer to anybody any more.

Randy smirked. "I know, it is nice not having to deal with Hunter's bullshit on a daily basis." He knew that Dave had not been a happy camper at having to turn on him but hey, at least Dave gave him the heads up about what they were going to do with him. Dave didn't have to do that for him but that's what being friends was all about.

"What am I going to do?" Dave asked.

Randy sat there watching his best friend fighting a war within himself. He knew it wasn't going to be easy on Dave but he only had two choices. He could either do as Hunter told him to do or he could walk away from Evolution. He hoped he choose the later of the two options.

"I can't tell you what to do," Randy said with a sympathetic look on his face. "You have to make a decision; you either stay in Evolution or you bail on them. There really is no other options."

Dave sat there quietly contemplating what Randy had said. He knew there had to be a way out of this rotten mess. Stephanie had never done anything personally to him so he didn't feel the anger that Hunter did. He had quietly observed the fact that Hunter didn't want Stephanie so much as the power that came with her last name.

"There has to be a way to stop this madness," Dave said with a cold look showing in his eyes. "I think I just might know how to work this to both of our advantage."

Randy sat there with a small smile on his face. He had an option three but he wasn't sure that Dave would be up for it. Being two faced wasn't Dave's cup of tea but faced with the alternative, it looked like they just might be thinking along the same lines. "Well, why don't you tell me just what the advantage is?"

Jay walked in the living room with a smile. Benoit was due there any minute and he could hardly wait for him to get there. He wanted to make him feel at home before Stephanie and Chris got there. He noticed Trish sitting on the couch and plopped down beside of her.

Trish smiled as she felt as his arm around her shoulders. "Have you talked to Chris?"

"Yeah and they were on their way to the airport. They should arrive in a few hours," Jay said with a smirk on his face. "You know, this weekend is going to be a blast."

"I know, it's going to be awesome having all of our friends here with us," Trish said with a smug look of her own. She knew she had to plant a seed about the cookout and now was the time. "Sweetie, do you think you could go with Chris when he gets here to the grocery store? I would like to cook out this evening."

"Why wait? I can go right now," Jay said starting to get up from the couch.

"No!" Trish exclaimed. "I mean, we really don't know what kind of stuff he likes. I really think we should wait for him and Benoit both so that they can go with you. You know, kind of like a guy thing."

The warning signals immediately started going off in Jay's head. He knew she was up to something. She had said no way too fast, which meant she had something up her sleeve. He didn't want to let her know that he saw right through her. "Ok honey, whatever you want me to do."

Trish silently let out a sigh of relief. She hated the fact that she had said no so quickly. If she wasn't careful, then Jay would find out what was going on and she couldn't let that happen. She loved Jay but she hated the fact that he wouldn't let her play matchmaker. She was really good at it. It really didn't matter that he thought he couldn't let her do something; it had never stopped her before and it wasn't going to stop her now.

The knock on the door let Jay know that Benoit was finally there. He jumped up from the couch still wondering what was going on in his girlfriend's head. He opened the door and grinned. "Hey buddy, how's it going?"

"I'm alright," Benoit said with an amused look on his face. He had a funny feeling the whole way over but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Jay stood there grinning at him but not moving. "Are you going to let me in any time soon?"

"Oh yeah," Jay said moving out of the way. "My house is yours."

"Actually, it is ours but he fails to mention that tiny weenie little part every chance that he gets," Trish said with a grin getting up off of the couch. She walked across and gave Benoit a hug. "I'm so glad that you decided to come hang out with us."

"Well, it's not like I had anything else better to do," Benoit admitted a little ashamed. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Anytime dude," Jay said with a grin. "Why don't I give you the tour?"

"Sounds good to me," Benoit said with a small grin.

Trish watched as Benoit and Jay walked up the hall. She rubbed her hands together in glee. She couldn't wait to see what happened once Lillian got there. She hoped Stephanie got there soon. There were still a few more details that she wanted to work out before Lillian got there.

Chris sat on the plane waiting for it to land while watching Stephanie sleep. She looked so much like an angel when she was sleeping that it almost scared Chris. They hadn't spoken since they had gotten on the plane and he was starting to feel guilty. He was crazy about her and already, he had pissed her off. He had a scowl on his face, as he looked out the window wishing he knew what to do to make it right.

Stephanie had been lying there with her eyes closed wondering what to do. She was starting to feel guilty though she had no clue why she felt that way. She didn't do anything wrong but then again, she supposed that Chris didn't either. She had pulled quite a few pranks on him and turn about was fair play.

She opened her eyes and placed her hand on Chris's arm. Chris turned to look at her with questioning eyes. She smiled and leaned over towards him. He looked a little weary but she smiled a little more before she kissed him softly on the lips.

"Not that I don't love kissing you, but what was that for?" Chris asked with a soft smile on his face.

"Just because I wanted to," Stephanie said before laying her head on his shoulder. She sighed and placed her hand on his arm. "You know, you're kind of sexy when you're mad."

"Oh really?" Chris said with an amused look on his face. He smiled and shook his head. "I think you are sexier."

"I know," Stephanie said lifting her eyes up to look at him with a mischievous look before just smiling at him softly. "I know we're kind of new at this couple stuff but getting mad over something foolish like that," she said shrugging her shoulders, "is just that, foolish."

"Princess, I agree with you there. I know we've just started seeing each other but I am crazy about you. You know that don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then why are we fighting?"

"Because we're stupid and immature," Stephanie said with a smug look on her face.

"Oh really?"

"Yip and I, for one, hope that we never change," Stephanie said.

"Me too Princess, me too," Chris said putting his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "So, what's on the agenda for this weekend?"

"I don't know really," Stephanie said crossing her fingers over her little white lie. "I know we are hanging out and Trish mentioned something about Benoit coming over."

"Excellent, you know, I really like the idea of Benoit being there."

"Why?"

"Well, he's a great guy. I mean, people look at him being standoffish and he is to a point. But then you get to know him and there is nobody else in the world that you would rather have as your friend," Chris said.

"I know," Stephanie said with a small grin. "You know, he was one of the first ones to hug me backstage after my 'I Quit' match. He looked so heartbroken to see me have to leave. I'll never forget what he said."

"What was that?"

"He said, 'I don't care what the rules were or what your daddy says, you didn't quit. You hear me Steph; you didn't quit. You hold your head up high and leave here knowing that you did _not_ quit.'"

"That so sounds like Benoit," Chris said with a grin.

"He is really a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him," Stephanie said with a sigh.

"Do you have a crush on him?" Chris asked with an amused look on his face.

"What, me? No, I just think that he's a great guy, that's all," Stephanie said.

Chris sat there pondering what she had said. If he didn't know better, he would swear that something was up. Stephanie had been scrunching her nose while talking about Benoit and that meant only one thing; she was scheming and doing it hard. He mentally made note to talk to Jay about it when they got there.


	11. 11

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that I haven't posted on this in a while. The muses decided to take a break but they are back now. This chapter is a little short but I felt like it was a good place to stop. I hope you enjoy and if you would, please review;-)

"I'm so glad that you are finally here," Trish squealed as she opened the door to Chris and Stephanie. She pulled Stephanie into a hug and whispered in her ear, "We need to talk soon as in right now."

"I'm just glad to be off the plane," Stephanie said hugging her back. She pulled away and winked at Trish letting her know that she heard what she had whispered in her ear. "Where are the guys at?"

"We're right here," Jay said walking into the living room with Benoit right behind him. "I'm glad you guys made it, Trish was about to drive me crazy worrying about you two."

"Oh really?" Chris said his eyes immediately on Stephanie. There was something going on between the two of them and he would have bet money that he wasn't going to like it. "Why does that _not_ surprise me?"

"Oh, stop it," Stephanie said pushing him slightly in the shoulder. She turned her attention back to Trish. "Where can I put our bags?"

"I'll show you," Trish said with a smile. "Chris, if you'll give me your bag, I'll carry it for you."

"Sure," Chris said knowing for sure that something was up. Trish never did anything like that for anybody unless she wanted something. He looked at Jay with a question in his eyes. Jay looked back with a 'you are so right' look. He handed Trish his bag and watched as Stephanie and Trish walked down the hallway.

"Ok, what in the hell is up with those two?" Chris asked Jay.

"Dude, I _so_ don't know but whatever it is, I bet it is _not_ going to be good," Jay said with a serious look on his face. He couldn't help but shudder just thinking about the kind of trouble that Trish and Steph could get into to.

Benoit stood there a little lost in the conversation. He knew they were talking about the girls but he didn't understand what they meant by something is up. With a perplexed look on his face, "Guys, you want to fill me in a little?"

"Hey Benoit," Chris said patting him on the shoulder. "Sorry about that, I think Stephanie is up to something. She's been scrunching her nose from the time we left the house."

"Oh really? Isn't that interesting?" Jay asked while rubbing his chin. "You know, Trish wanted me to wait until all of you got here before I went to the store for the cookout. It's really looking like they are up to something."

"So, what's wrong with that?" Benoit asked totally confused.

"Ok, you've not been around them before when they are scheming have you?" Chris asked with an amused look on his face. "Well, depending on what they are planning, it could be good or it could be really bad."

"I see, which do you think it is?" Benoit said thoroughly intrigued. He had only hung around the girls around Chris and Jay. He was very curious as to what they were talking about and it showed.

"I don't know but I would about bet it ain't good," Jay said with a shake of his head.

Trish practically pulled Stephanie up the hallway. Stephanie let her pull her because she didn't want to cause a scene. The minute the door shut, she jerked her arm out of Trish's hands. "What in the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to pull my arm out of the socket?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to get in here before the guys came," Trish said with an apologetic look on her face. She then smiled excitedly. "You know, this is going to be _so_ great."

"How are you going to pull this off?" Stephanie asked with an amused look on her face.

"Easy, I forgot she was coming," Trish said with a smirk. "Check this out, I've been practicing." She put on a totally innocent face and looked at Stephanie. "Oh my gosh," she said popping herself on the head. "I totally forgot that I invited Lillian to spend the weekend with us."

Stephanie busted out laughing. "If you think for one minute that our guys are going to believe that, then you are in big trouble."

"Shoosh, all I have to do is convince Jay. Who cares what the other two think?"

"Do you realize that Chris already thinks something is up? He hasn't said anything yet but he has that look of awareness in his eyes," Stephanie said nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

"Stop that," Trish said popping her on her hand. "You're going to ruin your lips that way. You just leave it to me, I know exactly what to do."

Dave paced the floor at his house like a caged animal. He knew what he had to do but he wasn't sure that it was the right thing to do. After all, Hunter did have Vince's approval but it didn't make the situation any easier.

He was supposed to kidnap Stephanie after the next Raw. After talking to Randy, the two of them had come up with a game plan of sorts but he wasn't sure that it would work. Sure, all the guys liked Randy now but not one of them had ever really talked to him before. He knew that if he were the one to tell Stephanie and Chris, they would never believe him.

The phone rang breaking his train of thoughts. He picked up the phone and grimaced. Hunter was calling and that couldn't be good. "Hey man, what's up?"

"Hey Dave, just wanted to make sure that everything is looking good your way," Hunter said with a smirk on his face.

"Everything will go as planned," Dave said closing his eyes and leaning against the wall for support. "Anything else?"

"No, just wanted to make sure," Hunter said with a triumphant tone to his voice. "Call me if you need anything."

"Sure thing," Dave said before hanging up the phone. He looked at the phone in his hands and shook his head. He could only hope that they believed Randy. If they didn't, then all hell was getting ready to break lose.

Chris, Benoit, and Jay were riding in Jay's car heading for the store. Jay was convinced that the girls were up to no good and Chris couldn't help but agree with him. Benoit sat in the back shaking his head at the two dumb asses in the front seat. Jay happened to look in the rear view mirror and catch him doing it.

"What are you shaking your head for?" Jay asked.

"You two are really something. You have been sitting around whining for the last two hours that the girls are up to something. So what if they are? Let them have their fun," Benoit said turning his head to look on the car window.

"Easy for you to say, you've never seen the carnage left after one of their 'brilliant schemes' and trust me, you don't want to," Chris said looking straight ahead. "Does he want to see one Jay?"

"Hell no," Jay said with a horrified look on his face. He looked back in the mirror to see Benoit with an amused look on his face. "Dude, you had better watch it cause I've got a funny feeling that what they are scheming is all about you."

Benoit busted out laughing. "What could those two possibly do to me?"

"Dude, you so don't want to know," Chris said with a shrug of his shoulders. "You see, we're used to them and you're not. You're easy pickings for those two."

"But what could they possible want that has to do with me?" Benoit said with a nonchalant look. "I'm not worried.

"Dude, you should be worried," Jay said pulling into the grocery store parking lot. He found a parking space and pulled into it. He then turned his car off and shrugged his shoulders at Chris. "Look, if he thinks he has nothing to worry about, let him be that way."

"Man, do I feel sorry for you," Chris muttered while getting out of the vehicle.

Benoit smirked at both of them but didn't say a word. He really didn't think he should be concerned about anything. Besides, what in the world could Trish and Stephanie possible do to him? He rolled his eyes and followed the two worrywarts into the store.

The doorbell rang and Trish flew to the door to answer it. She grinned from ear to ear seeing Lillian standing there. "I'm so glad that you could make it. Come on in," she said as she stood to the side to let her guest in.

"Thanks. I really appreciate you inviting me this weekend," Lillian said with a smile. "I would have been bored to tears at home."

"Well, we're never boring," Stephanie said walking into the living room. She plopped down on the couch with a shit-eating grin. "How are you doing Lillian?"

Lillian set down her bags and walked over to the couch. She sat down beside of Stephanie with a smile. "I'm doing good. You know, I never got a chance to tell you but the Highlight Reel the other night was excellent. I enjoyed every minute of my front row seat on that one."

Stephanie laughed. "Thanks, I have to say it felt very good telling my father that he couldn't touch me. Of course, having mom in my corner didn't hurt any either."

"No doubt," Trish said walking over in front of them. "Do you guys want something to drink?"

"I would love something, thanks," Lillian said with a smile.

"Me too, surprise me," Stephanie said with a wink.

Trish walked into the kitchen and smiled. Early in the day, the two girls had decided that in order to get Lillian to loosen up, they were going to have to get some form of alcohol in her. It was a little known fact that Lillian could get quite rowdy when she had a few drinks in her. They didn't want to get her drunk; they just wanted her to drink enough where they could get her to relax a little more.

Trish had mixed up some margaritas earlier and left them to chill in the fridge. She quickly fixed the salt around the glasses and then poured. She smiled as she grabbed a few umbrellas for decoration. She then grabbed a tray, loaded the drinks on it, and headed back into the living room.

"Ok girls, margarita time," Trish said walking in front of them. She held out the tray where Stephanie and Lillian could get their drinks. After taking their drinks off, Trish grabbed hers and set the tray down on the coffee table.

"Mmmm," Stephanie said taking a sip. "You make the best margaritas."

"I do, don't I?" Trish said with a cocky look on her face. "Oh well, at least I am good at something. I can't do a thing in the kitchen but when it comes to a bar, I'm the best bartender around."

Lillian took a sip of her drink licking a little of salt off of the glass first. She took a drink and smiled. "She's right, you know. This is good."

"Thanks hon," Trish said with a wink. "I am good at the things I do."

"Please don't say that in front of Jay," Stephanie said with a grimace. "I so don't want to know what you are good at with him."

"Like you don't already know," Trish said rolling her eyes. "So tell me Lillian, are you seeing anybody?"

Stephanie sent a warning look to Trish that she promptly ignored. The only way they were going to find out things for sure was to ask. She hadn't seen Lillian away from work in while and knew that Lillian wouldn't think anything of it.

"No, not really," Lillian said with a sad look on her face. "After that last relationship, I just don't think I'll be trusting men anytime soon."

"You can't base your opinion on 'men' based on 'one' man. Maybe you need to get out and date some," Trish said taking a sip of her drink.

Lillian laughed a little laugh before taking a big sip of drink. "Well, with the traveling, it's about impossible to maintain any kind of relationship."

"No, not necessarily," Stephanie said with a wink. "You could always date somebody within the company."

"I don't think so," Lillian said taking another sip. "I wouldn't want to mess up any of the good friendships that I've made with some of the guys."

Stephanie and Trish looked at each other with a gleam in their eyes. They didn't come this far to have everything fall apart now. Trish turned her glass up effectively finishing her drink while Stephanie did the same. Lillian noticed and quickly followed suit.

"I'm going to go get us some more drinks," Trish said. She grabbed their glasses and set them on the tray. "I'll be right back."

Lillian turned to Stephanie with a smile. "So are the rumors true? Are you really dating Chris Jericho?"

"Yes, I am," Stephanie said proudly. "You know, I never would have thought that we would date but you know, it makes sense."

"Why do you say that?"

Stephanie got a soft smile on her face. "Well, between you and I, I have always had a crush on him. He's a very sexy guy and I'm just one of the many Jericholics out in the world. I just got lucky that he felt the same way about me."

"I wish I could find that," Lillian said with a sad smile. She had been on her own with no man in her life for well over a year. While at first, she was totally fine with it. She could do what she wanted when she wanted which was fine by her at the time. Now, the loneliness of being by herself was starting to get to her. It was the whole reason she came when Trish had invited her over for the weekend. She didn't want to be alone any more.

"Well, here's round two," Trish said with a smile and a wink. She noticed Lillian had a sad look on her. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"What?" Lillian said startled out of her thoughts. "Nothing, I'm just glad that I'm here with my friends."

"I suggested to her that she should go out with somebody in the company," Stephanie said looking at Trish. "She didn't think it was a good idea."

"Oh sweetie, I think it just might be what you need," Trish said with a small smile. "You've been by yourself for over a year. It's time to get back into the dating scene."

"I don't know," Lillian said the doubt in her voice evident. "I just don't want to lose any of my good friends over something silly."

"You won't," Trish said wrapping her arm around her shoulder. "Let me ask you something, what do you think about Chris Benoit?"

"He's a sweetheart," Lillian said with a slight blush. "He's always been a real gentleman around me."

"I think she just might have a crush on him," Stephanie said with an amused look on her face. When Lillian's blush started creeping down her neck, it was more than obvious to the two of them that Lillian had a crush.

"Look, Benoit's never been anything but a friend to me. I doubt very seriously that he looks at me that way," Lillian said with a sad look on her face.

"You know what, I think you are totally wrong about that," Trish said with a knowing look on her face. "I can't tell you how many times I've caught him staring at you when he thought nobody was looking."

"Quit joking around," Lillian said with a tad bit of hope in her eyes. Looking at Trish, she could see that Trish wasn't joking. She was dead serious. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Trish said with a smug look on her face. "Look, you know that Jay and Benoit are tight. I'm around him all the time and I've caught him staring at you more than one time."

"Besides, he's really cute, isn't he?" Stephanie asked playing right into Trish's head. She noticed Lillian nodding her head yes. "Well, if he's available and interested and you're available and interested…."

"I don't know guys," Lillian said with a sad look on her face. "I don't want to throw myself at him without knowing for sure that he does like me."

"Ok, let's do this. I'm pretty sure that Jay invited Benoit over for the weekend," Trish said crossing her fingers over her little white lie. "Why don't we just see how things go this weekend?"

Lillian looked at the hopeful expectant faces on Stephanie and Trish's faces and smiled. Maybe they were right; maybe Benoit would be the one for her. "Ok, let's just see how it goes this weekend."

Benoit stood there shaking his head at the antics of Chris and Jay. From the moment that the two of them walking into the grocery store, it had been total chaos. He still couldn't believe that he was friends with the two of them, especially now.

First came the argument of who was pushing the buggy. They had stood there for at least ten minutes arguing over it when Benoit pushed Chris out of the way. He grabbed another cart and gave it to him hoping that would appease them.

He should have known from the light in their eyes that it was a mistake. The next thing he knew, Frick and Frack were racing in the isles. When Jay knocked down the cereal display, he thought they would have calmed down. If anything else, it only fueled them more.

"Guys, don't you think you've tortured the people in the store enough?" Benoit asked with a bored look on his face. Normally, their antics were funny at the hotel, and while hotels were not private, the grocery store was full of people who didn't find Chris and Jay amusing.

Chris and Jay looked at each other and grinned. They then turned to Benoit with goofy smiles on their faces. They both shook their heads and took off racing again.

"Great, I came for some relaxation and fun. All I'm getting is babysitting duty," Benoit said with a grim look on his face. He shook his head as he walked towards them. They were grown men and if they wanted to act like children, then he was going to let them. Besides, it sure made for an interesting beginning to his weekend. "Never a dull moment with those two," he muttered as he walked off to find them.


	12. 12

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

"Dude, this sucks!" Chris exclaimed while running his hand thru his hair. As much fun as they had had at the grocery store, he couldn't believe that #1 they didn't know who he was and # 2 they actually kicked him and Jay both out of the store.

"I know, I can't believe that they actually kicked us out of the grocery store," Jay said with a grim look on his face. While they had had a total blast racing around the store, Jay couldn't help but be embarrassed when the store manager not so politely asked them to leave.

He groaned mentally as he imagined telling Trish what had happened. This was the grocery store that he did all of his shopping at or at least the one that he _used _to go to. He wasn't sure if they would let him back in again. He looked out the car window noticing Benoit coming out with the grocery cart. "Great, there he is!"

Benoit pushed the cart to the car with a very pissed off look on his face. It wasn't enough that they raced the carts around the store. It wasn't enough that Jay took out the cereal display. It still wasn't enough when Chris took out the cheese display in the freezer isle. It wasn't until they crashed into the store manager's mother's grocery cart that the two idiots that he considered his closest friends got kicked out of the grocery store.

Benoit shook his head as he reached the car. He wasn't embarrassed, just aggravated. He knew they were just two big kids but he didn't realize how much of that they were until today. All he knew is that if this was how his weekend was going to be, he damn sure wasn't going to be bored.

"Hey guys, I hope I got everything," Benoit said as he pulled up to the car. He stood there watching them just looking at him. "Guys, I went and got the stuff. The least that you could do is load the car."

Jay looked at Chris and shrugged his shoulders. "He's got a point."

"Ok Junior, let's get at it," Chris said opening the car door while Jay did the same on his side. They quickly raced over to the cart and started arguing immediately on where to put the groceries in the car.

Benoit stood there, shook his head, and smiled. He knew his weekend could only get better. There was never a dull moment with those two. The only thing was, he had no idea what he was in store for, no idea at all.

Stephanie smiled as she watched Trish fix Lillian's makeup. They had officially turned the weekend into a slumber party for the girls. They had also had quite a few margaritas in them so every few minutes there was giggling for no reason.

"A little more there and done," Trish exclaimed as she looked over her work. She scrunched her nose as if deciding whether she liked the look on Lillian. Finally she smiled. "Take a look."

Lillian smiled as she looked in the mirror. Trish had used some of her own make up on her and while Lillian hesitated for a moment at the beginning, she was glad she let her have her way. The pink eye shadow looked girly and the blush was just the right shade for her skin tone.

"Well, what do you think?" Stephanie asked with a smile.

"I think it looks great," Lillian said with a smile. She turned to look at Trish. "I want to know the makers and the shades of this makeup. I never knew that _that_ shade of pink would look so good on me."

Trish blew on her fingernails and rubbed them on her shirt arrogantly. She smirked at Lillian before speaking. "I'm just that damn good."

Stephanie groaned and rolled eyes. "Jeez Trish, could you please find somebody else to rip off other than Hunter?"

Trish giggled and put her arm around Stephanie's shoulder. She hugged her for a second before speaking again. "You know Steph, who else would be more fun to rip off than Hunter?"

"It's true, it's damn true," Stephanie said with a smirk.

"Oh great, now we're ripping off Kurt," Trish said rolling her eyes.

"I would rather rip off Kurt than even speak Hunter's name," Stephanie said with a shiver running down her spine. She didn't know what it was about that man but he sure did give her the willies and not in a good way.

Trish noticed the shook up look on Stephanie's face and mentally chastised herself. Stephanie had never really cared much for Hunter. Then again, nobody really did with that huge nose and all. "Eww, let's just change the subject all together. I keep seeing that enormous nose in my mind and let's be totally honest here, that's is so NOT appealing."

"Isn't that the biggest nose that you have ever seen?" Lillian said with a giggle. "I mean, he could literally poke somebody's eye out with that monstrosity of a nose."

"Now, Lillian, I didn't think you noticed stuff like that," Stephanie said with an amused look on her face.

"You would be surprised at what I notice," Lillian said with a knowing look on her face.

"Ok girl, you can't make a comment like that and not explain," Trish said with an interested look on her face. "So go head, tell us what you mean by that."

"Ok, I won't name names but there are several of the guys who stuff the front of their trunks," Lillian said with a slight blush on her face. "Now, the only reason I know this is that I have the best seat in the house. Besides, you can tell which ones are real and which ones are enhanced."

"Oh my stars!" Stephanie exclaimed with an excited look on her face. "You've got to give us names! We must have the names!"

"No, I'm not going there. Just start paying a little bit more attention on the monitors and you'll know," Lillian said with a wink.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving. I hope the guys get back soon," Trish said with a grimace on her face. "You know how cranky I get when I'm hungry."

"Yeah and from the look on your face, I daresay that you could probably eat the ass out of cow right now," Stephanie said with a smirk on her face.

"Eww, can you say gross?" Trish said rolling her eyes. "I wonder what's taking the guys so long."

"I don't know but I'm with you, I'm starving," Stephanie said with a grim look on her face. "Don't you have anything that we could snack on?"

"Yeah, come on," Trish said jumping up from the couch and heading into the kitchen.

Stephanie and Lillian looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They then got up and followed her into the kitchen. She was standing on her little step getting stuff out of the higher cabinets.

"Ok, we've got Doritos, Cheetos, and I've got some popcorn that I can pop," Trish said with a grim look on her face. She hopped off of the stool and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry girls, no girly snacks."

"Oh well, anything is better than nothing," Stephanie said opening the bag of Doritos. She started munching on a chip when the front door opened.

"Lucy, I'm home," Jay said in a horrible Desi Arnaz imitation.

Stephanie and Trish's heart started beating with excitement. They knew that Benoit was with the guys but Lillian didn't. They turned and winked at Lillian. "Ok Ricky! I'm coming," Trish hollered back in an even worse attempt at a Lucy imitation.

Lillian started to walk out to help when Stephanie stopped her. "Why don't you and I stay in here and help put the stuff up? The manly men can bring it in."

"Sure," Lillian said with a puzzled look on her face. "Whatever you want me to do."

Trish rubbed her hands in excitement. She could hardly wait to see Benoit's face when he saw Lillian in the kitchen. She rushed out of the kitchen and straight into Jay.

"Baby, I know that you have a hard time keep your hands off of my sexy body but we do have guests so please, try to refrain yourself," Jay said with a smirk.

"Ha-ha," Trish said while swatting him on the shoulder. She took one look at Chris's face and knew immediately that something had happened. She put her hands on her hips and started tapping her foot."Ok, what did you two do now?"

Chris and Jay looked at each other and then back at Trish with puppy dog eyes. She knew then that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"It really wasn't our fault. If that lady hadn't of jerked her shopping cart in front of us, it wouldn't have happened," Jay said with a smug look on his face.

"He's right, it was totally not our fault," Chris said with a smug look on his own.

Suddenly Benoit dropped the bags that he was carrying. He walked over to them with an incredulous look on his face. "Let me get this straight, you two get thrown out of the grocery store but it wasn't your fault."

"Oh no, what did you do?" Trish said with a groan.

"I'll be more than happy to tell you what they did," Benoit said giving them one of his more serious looks. They immediately looked ashamed and dropped their heads. "Frick and Frack first argued over who was going to push the buggy. Me, thinking I was the smart one, just made each one of them take one."

"Oh no, they didn't? Tell me they didn't race the carts around the store," Trish said rubbing her temples. She was starting to get a headache already.

"Oh yeah, they did. After they knocked over a cereal display _and_ a cheese display, I just knew they were going to be kicked out but surprisingly it took them crashing their carts into a little old lady before they finally got booted out," Benoit said with a grim look on his face. He turned to Chris and Jay. "You're lucky that you didn't hurt that woman."

"Look, it was her own fault. She should have heard us coming," Jay said defensively.

"Yeah, besides, we were just having fun. Nobody got hurt," Chris said.

"I can't believe that you two did that," Trish said with an angry look on her face. "Go get the grill started. I don't want to see you two right now." She turned to look at Benoit. "Would you mind bringing that stuff into the kitchen?"

"Sure thing," Benoit said with a small smile. As he picked up the groceries, he couldn't help but send a smug grin over to the guys. "Just wait until Stephanie finds out." Hearing Chris groan was like music to his ears. "Don't worry, I'll tell her. You had better go on outside now before Trish comes back." He then started walking towards the kitchen.

"Dude, that totally sucks," Jay said. He let out a deep breath and shook his head. "Come on, the sooner we get the grill started, the sooner we can eat."

Randy Orton sat on the plane looking out the window. There were so many things going thru his mind at the moment but Dave was the main one. His best friend needed his help and he had to help him. Hunter was going too far this time.

It was one thing to have the hots for the boss's daughter but to kidnap her? He shuddered at the thought. Some things were just wrong and that was totally wrong. He also was mildly surprised thatVince was involved. Vince was not a conventional dad anyway but still to approve of kidnapping his own daughter? He shook his head over that one. It didn't make sense.

Why would Vince want to do that to his only daughter? What was the point? Was it revenge for her finding a way back onto Raw? Was it the fact that it wasn't his idea? He didn't know. He had way too many questions and not enough answers.

Hopefully, Chris and Stephanie would listen to him. He had to find a way for them to listen and believe him. He didn't have anything to lose by helping Dave. Dave was the only true friend that he had and he would be damned before he would let him down.

Trish walked into the kitchen trying hard to maintain her temper. Stephanie knew something was wrong the second she walked into the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"Hold on, I'll let Benoit tell you," Trish said completely forgetting the fact that this whole weekend was about Benoit and Lillian. "Our guys had a _really_ good time at the grocery store."

"Oh no, don't tell me that they were racing carts again," Stephanie said with a moan.

"Ok, we won't," Benoit said with an amused look on his face. He looked at Trish and asked. "Where do you want these?"

"Just set them down on the table," Trish said waving her hand.

Lillian quietly walked over to the table and started help Benoit take the groceries out. He didn't see her when he first walked into the kitchen because she had ran to the bathroom to check her makeup. Upon hearing him in the kitchen, she could hardly wait to see him.

Benoit noticed the fingernails on Trish and shook his head. Trish didn't have long fingernails. He then looked into the eyes of one Lillian Garcia and felt like he was drowning. She had the most mesmorizing eyes that he had ever seen. She smiled a small smile and said, "Hey Benoit, how's it going?"

"I'm doing pretty good Lillian, how about you?" Benoit asked with an amused look on his face. He turned to look at Stephanie and Trish. They gave him the most innocent looks in the world and he had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Lillian asked a little worried. One minute he looked really happy to see her and the next he was laughing.

"Nothing, just something Chris and Jay said earlier that now makes sense," Benoit said never taking his eyes off of Stephanie or Trish. "Funny, I didn't think you two would do that and I took up for you. Imagine that."

"Ok, I'm lost here, somebody fill me in," Lillian said with a questioning look on her face. "Please?"

Benoit took a deep breath and smiled at Lillian. "It's nothing really. Just them two being themselves. Actually, would you mind if I had just a few minutes alone with them?"

"No, not at all," Lillian said with a surprised look on her face. "I'll just go into the other room." Lillian turned and walked out of the kitchen feeling as though she had really missed something.

Benoit turned his head and slowly walked over to Trish and Stephanie who was currently looking like two children that had gotten their hands caught in the cookie jar. He leaned against the counter and folded his arms in front of him. "Ok girls, I'm waiting."

Stephanie looked at Trish who had elbowed her in the side. She gave her a mean look but then quickly turned on the charm as she looked at Benoit. "Waiting on what?"

Benoit shook his head. He unfolded his arms and stood in front of the both of them with a very serious look on his face. "First off, why is Lillian here? Secondly, why didn't either of you tell anybody that she was coming? Thirdly, are you two trying to set me up?"

Stephanie immediately looked down at the floor trying to figure a way out of this mess. Technically, it wasn't her idea and a light bulb went off in her head. She popped Trish on the shoulder. "I told you it wouldn't work."

"What do you mean 'you told me'? You didn't tell me anything! This was all my idea," Trish said noting the look of satisfaction on Stephanie's face. "Oh, I'm so going to get you for that!"

"Promises, promises," Stephanie said patting Trish on the cheek. She turned to look at Benoit. "Since it was her idea, I'm going to let her do all the explaining. Excuse me while I go check on Lillian." With that, Stephanie smirked at Trish and left her to face the Rabid Wolverine alone.

Trish looked at Benoit's face and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know this looks bad but I can explain."

"I'm waiting," Benoit said with a bored look on his face.

"Ok, well, ok, you know how you are always hanging out with us, right? Well, I just thought that you felt like the third wheel and wanted to fix it," Trish said.

Benoit stood there for a minute contemplating what she had said. He looked at her and said, "So you think I'm a third wheel?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Trish said rubbing her temples. "Stephanie! Get in here please!"

Stephanie heard Trish and had to laugh. She looked at Lillian and smiled. "Everything is going to be ok. Trish has gotten herself into another one of her famous messes and I, being her best friend, must go help her fix it. I'll be right back." She left the couch and walked into the kitchen with a triumphant look on her face. "Yes Trish, what can I do for you?"

"Can you please explain what _we_, I mean, _I_ did and why? I am just confusing him more. I've got to go check on Lillian," Trish said rushing out of the room as if her ass was on fire.

Stephanie looked at Benoit with a small smile. "You know, she really only wanted to help you."

"Oh really? By making it painfully obvious that I can't get my own dates?" Benoit said with an incrediulous look on his face. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Look, I was going to let her take the whole rap but I can't. I was just as involved as Trish was," Stephanie said with a slight blush on her face. "But before you go all Wolverine on us, let me explain."

"I'm all ears," Benoit said with a determined look on his face.

"Dude, we are so screwed," Jay said with a groan. He had just lit the grill when he slammed the lid shut. "Do you realize that Trish is going to cut me off this time? I could see it in her face."

"Dude, at least you have been getting some. Count your lucky stars," Chris said with a depressed tone to his voice. Suddenly he realized that he had said it out loud by the gleam in Jay's eyes. "Look, I was thinking it, I didn't mean to say it, and you need to forget it."

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not going to forget that. In fact, I'm shocked. The mighty Vitamin C is not getting any," Jay said with a smirk. "Will wonders never cease?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," Chris said with a serious look on his face. "I'm serious. You keep your mouth shut otherwise I'll tell Trish about you know who."

"Dude, you promised to never mention that name again," Jay said with a real look of fear on his face.

"And I haven't, have I?" Chris asked.

"No, you didn't," Jay said calming down a bit. "Ok, I'll back off for now but we are so going to talk about this."

"We'll talk next week when we go do that signing together," Chris said with a small smile. "I wonder what's taking them so long in there."

Benoit stood there quietly pondering what Stephanie had told him. While it was butting into his personal life, they did do it because they genuinely cared. There was no mean intent on their part. It was just Stephanie and Trish being, well, Stephanie and Trish. "Ok, I'm going to go in there and have a conversation with Lillian. You two need to get the stuff out to the guys."

"No problem," Stephanie said letting out the breath that she had been holding in for the last few minutes. "I'll get her now."

"Not so fast, you also have to tell Jay and Chris what you've attempted to do," Benoit said with a serious look on his face.

"Oh come on," Stephanie said with a slight look of fear on her face.

"I'm serious. You two did this, and while I am grateful, I'm not going to lie to them. You know they will ask me and then I'll tell them and they'll get mad at you while you get mad at me. I had enough drama for one weekend at the grocery store," Benoit said with an almost apologetic look on his face.

"Ok, you're right," Stephanie said leaning against the kitchen counter. She closed her eyes and hollered, "Trish, come in here please."

Trish poked her head around the corner with a nervous look on her face. "Did you just call for me?"

"Yes, I did," Stephanie said. "You had better come in here, we've got to talk."

Benoit quietly left the kitchen and found Lillian sitting on the couch. _"I can do this. I can talk to her. I can do this!"_ he thought to himself. His hands were sweating and he felt like he could throw up but he couldn't help it. He really liked Lillian and while grateful to the girls for giving him the opportunity to know her better, he was very nervous.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Benoit asked with a slight blush on his face.

"No, not at all," Lillian said with a smile. She slid over and patted the couch. "Have a seat."

"Thanks," Benoit said sitting down beside her without touching her. "So, have you had a good time so far?"

"Yes, so far," Lillian said with another smile. "However, I don't think that you are. What's going on and please tell me the truth."

Benoit looked at her and knew he had to tell her. She was one of the kindest most forgiving women that he had ever met. Surely she would understand. "It seems as though Stephanie and Trish are trying to play matchmaker."

"Oh really? With who," Lillian said clueless to what was going on.

Benoit chuckled and then shook his head. "You know what, let's not even worry about that. What do you say you and I take this weekend to get to know each other better?"

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Lillian said with a smile.


	13. 13

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas! I also want to send a special shout out to Jodi, Nina, and Liz. You three have been the best support system that I have ever had! Thanks from the bottom of my heart;-)  
That being said.... on with the story! Please remember all reviews, good or bad, are welcome!

Trish had just finished putting the hamburgers on a tray to take out to the guys when she noticed Stephanie looking at her. She smiled a sad smile. She knew that Stephanie was dreading telling Jay and Chris about Lilian as much as she was. She also knew there wasn't any way around it. They had to tell them. "I say that we plead guilty by reason of insanity."

"I don't think that one is going to work," Stephanie said with a small smile. She went back to setting the chicken breasts and hotdogs on the other tray. There were times when she wished she knew the right way to handle situations. This was one of those times.

"Yes it will, we're dating them so we have to be just a little bit insane," Trish said with a grin. She knew the guys would eventually forgive them. They had to; they didn't have a choice in the matter.

Stephanie just smiled at her friend and shook her head. She knew that Chris was going to be angry and that bothered her. She was looking forward to a having a good weekend with friends, not fighting with her boyfriend. It seemed like it was always a struggle just to stay on an even keel.

Trish noticed how quiet Stephanie was and knew that she was worrying about telling Chris. She really didn't think that Chris would be that mad but unfortunately Stephanie did. She walked over and put her arm around her shoulder. "Cheer up, it will be ok. Besides, they still have to tell us about the grocery store. I think makes us all about even."

"You know, I never even thought about that," Stephanie said with a gleam in her eyes. "They might get mad at us but at least we didn't terrorize a little old lady in a grocery store."

"That's my girl," Trish said giving her shoulder a squeeze. She picked up her tray. "Well, let's get this meat out there to them."

"Ok," Stephanie said picking up her tray. She followed her outside wondering if this weekend was going to be a lot of fun or a total disaster. _"I'm betting on disaster,"_ she thought to herself as she went out the door behind Trish.

Lilian smiled at Benoit. He had been so attentive that she couldn't help but smile. He seemed to be one of the very few men that she had ever met that really seemed interested in what she had to say, not just how she looked. "You know, we've never really sat down and talked like this before have we?"

"No, we haven't," Benoit said with a smile. He had to admit that he had really enjoyed her company. They liked a lot of the same things, which really meant a lot to him. He liked her more now than he did before. "I didn't realize that we had so much in common."

"I know," Lilian said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's nice though. I get tired of talking about work and the people I work with. Now, I've got somebody to talk to about other sports with instead of just talking about baseball. Between you and I, it's a pretty boring sport to me."

"I know what you mean," Benoit said with a laugh. "Personally, I love football. That's my favorite. Besides, most of the guys backstage are too busy staring at you on the monitor to talk about anything else."

"You're being silly," Lilian said with a swat on his arm. "Besides, I look the same every week. My hair might be fixed a little different but other than that, it's just plain old me."

"See now that's where you're wrong," Benoit said putting his arm around the back of the couch. "You don't wear the same outfit each week. That's what the guys talk about."

"Wow, sounds like some of them need a life," Lilian said with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I'm not _that_ important."

Benoit looked at her and noticed that she really meant what she had said. What puzzled him was why did she feel that way about herself. It didn't make sense. She was a beautiful girl with a great personality. "You know, everybody is important. Some more than others, but everybody is important in one way or another."

Lilian looked into his eyes and could see that he was being honest. She also knew that he was the kind of guy that would say anything to make anybody feel better. It wasn't that she didn't believe him; she did, just not that much. She knew from her past experiences with men that things were not always what they seemed. She shrugged her shoulders. "If you say so."

Benoit sat there and mentally made a note that Lilian didn't seem to think much of herself. That surprised him in more ways than one. He didn't understand where it came from but he made a promise to himself to find out before the weekend was up.

Jay elbowed Chris in the ribs when he heard the backdoor open. He was not looking forward to this confrontation with the women and neither was Chris. They decided not to lie; they were having fun at the time and that was all that there was to it. There was no law against that.

Trish set the food down on the table before putting her hands on her hips. She looked at Jay with a 'I'm disappointed in you' look which made him mentally groan. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jay shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing really, I was just having fun."

"Having fun? You call running into a little old lady with a shopping cart _fun_," Trish said feeling the anger rush through her veins. She closed her eyes, counted to ten, and waited for him to speak.

Chris couldn't believe that Trish was actually _that_ mad. If he had looked at Stephanie, he would have seen the same look on her face. He didn't. He looked at Trish and said, "First off, we didn't hit her, we hit her cart; big difference there _dear_. Secondly, we were just having fun. It was not that big of a deal as far as I am concerned."

"No big deal huh," Stephanie said walking up beside of Trish. "Well, then I guess it isn't a big deal that you knocked over two displays either."

"Nope," Chris said with an almost bored look on his face. He had been waiting for her to speak and knew it was coming. While he understood a little why they were upset, he really didn't think what they did was that bad. "If you're looking for an apology from us, you're looking in the wrong direction."

"He's right, we didn't do anything other than have some fun. I refuse to apologize for having fun," Jay said with a stubborn look on his face. As long as he had Chris there, he had to save face. He knew that once they left, he would be kissing some major ass. He had to take advantage of the moment while he could.

Stephanie looked at Trish and Trish looked at Stephanie. The looks on their faces were practically identical. The irritation was there and so was their stubbornness. Stephanie spoke up. "Well, then we refuse to apologize for inviting Lilian here for the weekend."

"What? What are you talking about Princess?" Chris said with a confused look on his face. He couldn't understand why they were talking about Lilian. Where did that come from?

"Yeah, we didn't do anything wrong but have fun too so there," Trish said with a determined look on her face. She turned to look at Stephanie. "Do you want to help me with the fixings?"

"Yes, I believe I do," Stephanie said turning to follow Trish into the house.

They had made it to the door reaching out to grab the handle when Jay spoke quietly but firmly. He hoped that he didn't hear what he thought he just heard. If he did, then it was going to be ugly around here really quick. "You did what?"

Trish and Stephanie turned around with stubborn looks on their faces. They quietly walked back down the steps and in front of their boyfriends. Stephanie was the first to speak. "We invited Lilian over for the weekend."

Chris and Jay looked at each other. They then turned to look back at the girls and then back at themselves once again. "Excuse us for a minute," Jay said grabbing Chris arm and pulling him out of earshot.

"I told you that they were up to something. Poor Benoit, they are trying to set him up," Jay said with a knowing look on his face. He kept slapping his hand with the back of his other hand to emphasize what he was saying. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"

"I did too," Chris said rubbing his chin. He had known something was not right, he just didn't know what. Now, he knew why Stephanie was so interested in talking about Benoit on the plane. It was suddenly as if a light bulb went off in his mind. The secret phone calls with Trish and Stephanie chewing her bottom lip all the time. "They have been planning this for a while. The question is how can we use this to our advantage?"

"Just follow my lead," Jay said with a knowing look. He had tried and tried to make Trish understand that trying to fix up people was just wrong. Ok, so he had attempted to fix up Stephanie and Chris but that was different. They really liked each other.

Jay and Chris walked back in front of their girlfriends with serious looks on their faces. They crossed they arms in front of each other. Jay looked at both of them before he spoke. "I thought that we had discussed this before. I thought that you two knew that fixing people up without them knowing is wrong. Evidently, you two didn't listen."

"Now wait a minute," Stephanie said with anger on her face.

"Hush Stephanie and listen to the man," Chris said interrupting her.

Stephanie felt the anger coursing through her veins like a wildfire in a forest. The fire flashed in her eyes and for a second, she saw fear on Chris's face. He quickly covered it but not quick enough. She started tapping her foot but listened to what Jay had to say.

"Stephanie, I expected this from you but Trish," Jay said turning his attention back to his girlfriend, "you promised me that you wouldn't do this anymore. How can I trust you after this?"

"First off, I promised not to meddle, _that_ has _nothing_ to do with matchmaking. You want to talk about trust. I can't even trust you to go to the _freaking grocery store_ without getting kicked out. And another thing, who are you to stand there and jump me when you tried to do the same exact thing to them," Trish said with anger flashing in her eyes pointing her finger at Stephanie and Chris.

"That was totally different and this isn't about me," Jay said with a determined look on his face. She was not winning this argument, but not this time. She had made a promise and she broke it. It was as simple as that.

Stephanie and Chris just stared at each other while Jay and Trish continued to argue. Stephanie was furious and it showed. Chris was aggravated and it did showed. Finally after a few minutes, she finally spoke.

"Let me tell you something right now Chris Jericho," Stephanie said slowly walking right in front of him getting in his face. She took her finger and started poking it in his chest. "Don't you ever tell me to hush again!"

"Princess," Chris said shaking his head. "Hush!"

Stephanie opened her mouth and then shut it again. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. "You know Chris, I don't want to do this. I don't want to fight with you."

"Admit that you were wrong and we don't have to," Chris said with a smug look. He had her there and he knew it. For the first time, Stephanie was going to admit that she was wrong about it. He had to admit that this was a long time coming.

Stephanie stood there for a few minutes trying to control her anger. If he thought for one second that she was going to admit that she was wrong, then he was in for a rude awakening. "You know, if you are waiting for me to admit that I'm wrong, hell is going to freeze over first."

"How can you say that?" Chris said with an incredulous look on his face. He couldn't believe that she wasn't going to admit that she was wrong to interfere. "You know that you are wrong."

"You know what is wrong. I'll tell you _exactly_ what is wrong. You want to stand there and judge me for something that you know _nothing_ about. I would _never_ intentionally hurt anybody and I didn't think _then_ that I did anything wrong and I _still_ don't that I did anything wrong," Stephanie said with anger flashing in her eyes. She was getting ready to lose it and she didn't want to do that. The McMahon blood was in her veins and could take over at any time.

"You know what Princess," Chris said with a smirk. He grabbed her by the arm gently but firmly. He softened his voice and whispered in her ear, "I'm right and you're wrong. That is the only thing that is pissed you off right now. Admit it."

"Go to hell Jericho," Stephanie said jerking her arm out of his. She walked beside of Trish and grabbed her by the arm. If they wanted to go this route, that was fine by her. "Come on Trish, we've got guests."

Lilian and Benoit were laughing when they heard the backdoor slam. They looked at each other with puzzling looks. Lilian shrugged her shoulders while Benoit just laid his head back with a small smile.

"What is so funny?" Lilian said intrigued.

"I am betting that our two lovely couples are fighting right now," Benoit said with a wry grin. He had a pretty good feeling that the girls had just told the guys about their secret plans. It would be interesting to see how things played out this weekend. He shook his head over thinking that he might actually get bored being here earlier. He knew better than that.

"Oh no, that can't be good," Lilian said with a sad look on her face. She was having such a nice time with Benoit. She also couldn't help but think that maybe Stephanie and Trish were right; maybe he really _did_ like her. She didn't want anything to ruin the moment but it looked like the fighting couples just might.

"No but it sure will be entertaining," Benoit said with a wink. He noticed Lilian smile and thought she had the best smile in the world. He spoke his mind without realizing it until her smile got just a little bit bigger. "You know, you just have the best smile."

"Thanks, I like yours too, even with a tooth missing," Lilian said smiling freely. He just seemed to have the knack to say the sweetest things. The more she was around him, the more she liked him. She just hoped that he liked her.

Benoit laughed out loud and slapped his leg. "I'm glad you like it. My mom sure doesn't."

A cabinet slammed in the kitchen that caused both of them to look that way. Benoit turned to Lilian and said, "I'll go outside and check the guys. You go in there and check on the girls. We'll swap notes later."

"Sounds like a plan," Lilian said with a smile. She stood up and walked into the kitchen wondering what she was walking into. By the sounds of things, it couldn't be good. She tried to cover the worried expression on her face as she walked into the kitchen.

Benoit decided to walk out the front door and out back. With all of the commotion coming from the kitchen, he felt this might be the easiest way to stay out of the line of fire. With a slight smile on his face, he opened the gate listening to Chris and Jay vent about their girlfriends as he silently walked towards them.

"You know what really pisses me off," Jay said flipping the burgers and smashing them into the grill. "What really pisses me off is that they act like _we_ did something wrong."

"I know, we didn't do anything wrong as far as I can tell," Chris said with a smirk on his face. He was not backing down. He was right, she was wrong, and that was that. He shrugged his shoulders. "Who cares?"

"Evidently, you two do," Benoit said walking up beside of them. He didn't believe a word that either one of them had said. He knew them way too well. When everybody left, they would be on their knees kissing the girl's asses to make things right. He never understood the 'male macho bullshit' until now.

"Dude, we had no clue to what they were doing," Jay said with an embarrassed look on his face. He still couldn't believe that Trish had broken her promise. He shook his head. "Seriously, we had no clue."

Benoit laughed out loud and slapped his leg again. He couldn't believe that this was going on but damn, if it didn't make things more interesting. "I didn't think that you did."

"Still, we've warned them about doing stuff like this," Chris said with a serious look on his face. "They know better than to mess with people's private lives."

"Oh really?" Benoit said with an amused look on his face. "You know, it's funny. You two act like they have committed a crime or something. First off, what they did, they did to me, not you. Both of you need to quit whining and get over it."

"But dude," Jay said turning away from the grill for a second. "You don't understand."

"No, I'll tell you what I don't understand is the two of you. You've got great girlfriends who really care about you. All you two can do is bitch and moan about the bad things that they do. What about the good things that they do?" Benoit asked while arching an eyebrow.

"Damn, I didn't know you could do the eyebrow thing," Chris said with a shocked look on his face.

Benoit looked at him with a small grin. "First off, there's a lot about me that you don't know. Secondly, you two need to grow up a little. Look, it's okay to have fun and act childish but you two seem to do it more often than not."

"He's got us there pal," Jay said with a serious look on his face. He closed his eyes for a second and sighed. "I guess we need to apologize to them."

"Oh but hell no," Chris exclaimed with a serious look on his face. "We didn't do anything wrong, they did."

"Well, I'm the one that they 'wronged' and I'm not mad," Benoit said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I have to be honest, I was more amused about it than anything. I mean, come on. They did it because they care about me, not because they were out to get me or out for revenge. If you'll stop and think about it, nine times out of ten, they do something because they care, not for meanness or spite."

"He's right, you know," Jay said with a slight grin on his face. "The question is how do we make it up to them?"

Chris let his friends work sink in. Technically, they didn't do anything wrong. They were only trying to help a friend. He shook his head and smiled. He knew how to save face and still be right in his mind. "I know exactly what we can do. Benoit, can you cover for us?"

Lillian walked into the kitchen to find Trish destroying a good head of lettuce and Stephanie taking her frustrations out on a head of cabbage with a shredder. She shook her head and walked up beside of Trish with an amused look on her face. "Trish, if you're making salad, that's fine but not for burgers."

"Huh?" Trish said with a glazed look in her eyes. She looked down and noticed how small the pieces of lettuce were. "I wasn't planning on making a salad but maybe I should."

"It's ok," Lillian said with a smile. She knew that the girls were irritated. She wished there was a way to make things right for all of them but she didn't really know what was going on. "Why don't you work on something else and I'll finish up here."

"Sure," Trish said walking up beside of Stephanie. She noticed her rubbing the cabbage against the shredder like a woman possessed. "Looks like I'm not the only one guilty of food abuse."

"Very funny," Stephanie said between her teeth. She put what was left of the cabbage down on the counter. "Would you like to try it? I imagined that it was Chris's face that I was doing that way and it made me feel so much better."

"Nah, I think I'll just start slicing the tomatoes," Trish said with a smile. "Besides, Jay's face in a shredder would probably be an improvement at this point."

Stephanie laughed and wiped her hands on a towel lying on the counter. "You know, I just don't get it. I just don't get them at all."

Lillian stood there quietly finishing up the lettuce with an intense look on her face. Normally, she wouldn't get involved in a couple's dispute. This time, she couldn't stop herself. "You know, you two are lucky. You've got two very nice looking guys who are crazy about you. Don't you think that you could find a way to meet in the middle?"

Stephanie and Trish looked at each other thinking that Lillian was right. Too bad for Jay and Chris that they wanted to stay mad for a while. They then shrugged their shoulders and went back to doing what they were doing.

"Look, I don't know what is going on and I don't really want to know," Lillian said with a warm smile. "All I know is that you two are very lucky to have guys who care about you as much as those two do. Don't be foolish and hurt your relationship this way. Find a way to meet in the middle."

"Great, just great," Randy said with a disappointed look on his face. "Where could he be?"

He had just arrived at Chris Jericho's house and there wasn't anybody at home. Common sense should have told me to call first but he wasn't sure that Chris would take his phone call. Now, he wished that he had called first.

He was standing there deep in thought when his cell phone rang. He opened it up and grinned. "Hey man, what's up?"

"Not much," Dave said with a smile. "Did you tell them yet?"

"Nope, seems that Chris had other plans this weekend. He's not home," Randy said leaning against the doorway. "I think I saw a motel up the road. I'm just going to get a room and keep coming by. Maybe he'll come back home before my return flight."

"Damn it, I was hoping that you would get to tell them," Dave said sitting down on his bed. "Thanks again for doing this buddy. I really appreciate it."

"Hey man, that's what friends are for," Randy said with a smug grin. "Don't worry dude, I've got your back. If nothing else, I'll stop you from kidnapping her Monday. Nobody knows that we still talk so that should work."

"Maybe but I would like to try and keep you out of Hunter's line of fire," Dave said.

"Dude, I've been in his line of fire for months now. I don't think that is going to change anytime soon," Randy said with another smirk on his face. "Look, let me call you after I've gotten checked in and we'll work on a Plan B."

"Ok man, thanks again for doing this," Dave said with a relived look on his face.

"No problem dude, any time," Randy said taking the phone down from his ear and folding it in half. He had his doubts but he had to try for Dave's sake. Dave was his best friend and he would be damned before he started letting him down now.


	14. 14

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: Hi everybody! I'm so sorry that I've not posted anything on this in a while but the muses are not cooperating. Fortunately, they came back for a short period, hence the short chapter. Thanks for reading and if you will, please review;-)

"Well, I think we have all of the fixings ready," Trish said sitting down at the kitchen table with a tired look on her face. She grabbed a piece of lettuce to munch on while waiting on Stephanie to finish up.

"We do now," Stephanie said with a smirk on her face. She set down the bowl of coleslaw on the table and grabbed a piece of lettuce. "Now if the guys would just bring in the meat, we could eat."

Trish busted out laughing, as did Lilian. Stephanie sat there with a puzzled look on her face until she realized what she had said. She smiled a big smile and said, "Get your minds out the gutter ladies."

"Oh please, you know that's not going to happen," Trish said with a wink. "Besides, what fun would that be?"

Lilian walked over to the back door and looked outside seeing Benoit, but not Chris or Jay. With a puzzled look on her face, she shrugged her shoulders. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to Benoit without the guys around. She turned to the girls. "I'm going to see how the grill cooking is going. I'll be right back."

"Tell them to hurry up, we're starving," Trish said with a smile.

"Yes ma'am," Lilian said with a mock salute before opening the door.

Benoit turned around and couldn't stop himself from grinning at the vision of loveliness walking towards him. He raised his eyebrow before speaking. "So tell me, how's it going in there?"

"It's better than what it was but I think they are still a little peeved," Lilian said with a smile. "I tried, that's all I can do."

"Me too though I have to say I might have had better luck with Chris and Jay than you did with Stephanie and Trish," Benoit said with a tad bit of smugness on his face.

"Oh really?" Lilian said with an amused look on her face. "So tell me oh mighty Benoit, what did you do?"

"I told them that they were being jackasses, that's what," Benoit said with a shit-eating grin. "Besides, they didn't do anything to them so no harm, no foul."

Lilian turned to him with a knowing look on her face. She had been thinking about everything and finally figured out why the guys were mad at the girls. They had tried to set her and Benoit up.

At first, she was a bit irritated but then after thinking about it for a bit, there really wasn't anything to be upset about. She was curious as to what Benoit thought about it. "So tell me, did you like being set up anymore than I did?"

Benoit froze with a shocked look on his face. He really didn't think that she knew what had been going on but evidently the little blonde was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled a small smile. "Well, I like the fact that I've gotten to know you better. If that counts, then yeah, I liked being set up."

Lilian smiled and placed her hand on his arm. "Me too."

Stephanie and Trish were sitting at the table making small talk when the doorbell rang. Trish had a puzzled look on her face as she looked at Stephanie. She stood up and motioned with her hand for Stephanie to follow her. Intrigued, Stephanie did exactly that. Once they got to the door, Trish looked through the peephole and gasped.

"What? What is it?" Stephanie said pushing her out of the way. She looked in the peephole and gasped. "Oh my God, what is going on?"

"I don't know but we're going to find out," Trish said opening the door quickly.

There were dozens of flowers in vases all over the front porch. Fat vases, skinny vases, long vases, and short vases filled with every flower imaginable was covering almost every inch of the front porch. The smell of roses, lilacs, and the other flowers invaded their senses like a fresh spring day. Suddenly Chris and Jay walked out from behind the bushes.

"So do you forgive us?" Jay said with a small pout on his face.

"I don't know about her but I do," Trish said with a small smile.

Jay smiled and with careful maneuvering, he managed to make it inside the house without knocking any of the flowers over which was a good thing; those flowers cost a small fortune but it was so worth it to see his woman smiling at him. He didn't care about the cost. He picked her up and kissed her soundly before pulling her into his arms.

"I hate fighting with you," Trish murmured before laying her head on his shoulder.

"I don't," Jay said with a sigh.

Trish pulled back with a questioning look on her face. "Why do you say that?"

"Sweetie, think about it for a minute. If we don't fight, we don't make up. If we don't make up…."

Trish smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "You are absolutely right! The making up makes up for the fighting doesn't it?"

"It sure does baby, it sure does."

Chris stood there quietly looking at Stephanie. He could tell she was puzzled and a little leery. "Half of these flowers are yours."

"You bought me flowers?" Stephanie said with a small smile.

"Bunches," Chris said with a small smile. He walked slowly towards her and then stopped. He held out his hand. "Come on out here with me please."

"Ok," Stephanie said with a smile. She grabbed his hand and carefully walked on the porch without hurting the flowers. The minute her feet hit the ground, she was pulled into Chris's arms. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ok, sometimes I do childish things but that's who I am and I won't apologize for it," Chris said quietly in her ear. "But I really do hate fighting with you."

"Sometimes I do things that you don't like but that's who I am and I won't apologize for it," Stephanie said quietly in his ear. "But I don't like fighting with you either."

Chris pulled her in closer and kissed her on the forehead. "You know, we are kind of new at this couple stuff. We just need more time to get used to that."

Stephanie closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. "There is nobody else that I would rather be with. I hope you know that."

"Ditto," Chris said with a small smile.

Lilian and Benoit walked in the back door with the trays of food noticing the silence. Looking at each other with puzzled looks on their faces, they set the food down on the table. Quietly they poked their heads in the living room and noticed Jay and Trish hugging. Chris and Stephanie were not in there.

"Does this mean all is right in the world now?" Benoit said with a grin.

"Yeah buddy, it is," Jay said with a smirk. "Besides, we've never been able to stay mad at each other long, have we sugar plum?"

"No, sugar cakes, we sure haven't," Trish said with a small smile. "Is the food ready?"

"Yes ma'am and I don't know about you two but I'm starving," Lilian said with a smile. "Where's Stephanie and Chris?"

"We're right here," Chris said as he and Stephanie carefully walked into the room. "I hope I heard somebody correctly saying that the food was ready. I'm starving!"

Randy Orton paced the motel room deep in thought. He had rode by Chris's house for the third time today and he still wasn't home. He had debated on calling in a few favors to get Chris's cell phone number and decided against it. He didn't want to raise any red flags and it was hard to figure out who was on Hunter's side and who wasn't.

"Damn it," Randy said sitting down on the chair. He laid his head back and closed his eyes wishing he could fix this mess that Dave had found himself into. It wasn't Dave's fault; Dave was just trying to make it in the wrestling world. Hell, he had done the same thing by falling into Hunter's plans only to be kicked out with no warning.

"It's better that way," he muttered to himself. Other than Dave, he found that he didn't miss being in Evolution at all. The women, the money, and the alcohol never really did much for Randy or Dave either, for that matter, but they went along with the Game as always. It was what they were supposed to do. Now things were getting out of hand and Randy knew Dave was being set up to take a fall. He knew it in his gut and he had to help him stop it before things got out of hand.

Hunter sat there with a narrowed look on his face. He had been studying Dave for a while now and he didn't like what he was seeing. He knew that in order for his plan to kidnap Stephanie to work, Dave had to be behind him. He would not be able to do it without the big guy. After all, Dave was the scapegoat if things went wrong.

"Dave, are you ok?" Hunter asked with a questioning look on his face. "You don't look so good."

Dave smiled a wry grin wishing he were better at hiding his feelings. He hated the fact that Evolution was planning on kidnapping Stephanie. He also hated the fact that Vince was involved. He shook his head of his thoughts. Now wasn't the time. "I think I might be coming down with something. I've not been feeling too good today."

Hunter's eyes narrowed even more as he looked at Dave's face. He couldn't help the gut feeling that Dave wasn't 100 behind Evolution like he used to be. He also knew that Dave wasn't stupid. He had a sweet little ride going now and Hunter didn't really think that he was ready to get off of it.

"Well, make sure you get you some rest this weekend. Evolution needs to be at the top of their game on Monday night," Ric said with a smirk on his face.

"Natch is right, make sure you get to feeling better by Monday," Hunter said with a smirk on his face. "After all, the wrestling world will not be the same when Evolution is done taking care of business Monday night."

Dave nodded his head in agreement while feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't know how much more he could take. He stood up quickly feeling the need to get away from the ones that were making him feel that way. "Okay, I'll see you later."

Hunter's eyes narrowed again as he watched Dave walk out the hotel room. He knew something was not right with Dave and he didn't like it. "Natch, do you think we can really count on him?"

"What? Are you questioning his loyalty?" Ric asked with a stunned look on his face. "Look, that man has done everything that we have ever asked him to do. How can you even begin to doubt him now?"

Hunter sat there pondering what Ric had said. He was right. Dave had never done anything other than what he had asked him to do. He smiled and patted Ric on the back. "You're right Natch. He's always been our guy, hasn't he?"

"Wooooo, you got that right boy and don't you forget it," Ric said with a smile.

"That was great," Lilian said sitting back in the chair. She grimaced for a minute. "Although I couldn't eat another bite if I had to."

"Here here," Stephanie said holding up her margarita. "I say we go into the living room for some 'adult' entertainment."

"I want to play five minutes in the closest," Jay said with a leer on his face. He winked at Trish letting her know that she was the only girl he wanted in the closest for five minutes. She was his girlfriend after all.

"I know, let's play spin the bottle," Chris said rubbing his hands together in glee. He could picture spinning the bottle, it landing on Stephanie, and planting 'the' kiss on her. The kiss that would guarantee a homerun before the night was over.

Benoit rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Guys, I don't think that is the kind of game that the girls were talking about."

"Who cares? Ours sound like a lot of freaking fun," Jay said with a smirk on his face.

"Baby, we'll play five minutes in the closest later," Trish said with a sexy look on her face.

"You promise?"

"I promise," Trish with a smile.

"YES!" Jay said holding his fist up for a minute. He then looked around the table and noticed the amused expressions on his guest's faces. "You're just jealous cause I get to play and you don't." With that, he folded his arms in front of him and stuck out his tongue.

"Oh yeah Jay, I'm really dying to get your ass in the closest alone for five minutes," Chris said sarcastically. "You know you want me."

"Dude, that's not even funny," Jay said visibly shuddering at the thought. "Let's change the subject."

"I second that motion," Stephanie said with a wry grin on her face. "Besides, we're in Florida and we're close to the beach. What do you say we all just go for a walk on the beach?"

"I would love to do that," Lilian said with a smile while looking at Benoit. She couldn't stop herself from looking at him so she quit trying. Besides, she wasn't the only one that was looking; she had caught him looking at her quite a bit.

"Sounds great to me," Benoit said with a smile on his face. The more he was around Lilian the more he liked her. She was so sweet and caring, so unlike the women from his past. He really hoped that this weekend would be the beginning of something special for the two of them.

"Well, what are we waiting for people? Let's go," Stephanie said with a small smile.


	15. 15

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: First off, thanks to everybody for being so patient during the lack of posting. I do feel the need toclarify a few points. In this story, Chris lives in Bradenton, FL while Jay lives in Tampa, FL. (I know, that's not where he lives but it _is_ fiction;-) That being said, on with the story and remember, ALL reviews are welcomed!

Randy Orton sat in his hotel room thinking and pondering over the situation at hand. He wasn't sure how much Chris and Stephanie would believe of what he had to tell them but they had to. Stephanie's very well being would be in jeopardy if they didn't. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure that he could convince them. He didn't have a stellar past and he knew they wouldn't trust him at all.

He closed his eyes and rubbed them with his hand wishing his mind would slow down. There, in the room by himself, it was easy for his mind to run wild with things that could go wrong when and after telling them. Over and over, they flashed thru his mind like pictures of his future. Some were okay but others were not.

He stood up and stretched noting that the sun would be going down soon. It hadn't been that long since he had rode by Chris's house. He had basically accepted that Chris wasn't going to be home this weekend. Evidently, Chris had other plans besides staying at home. He walked over to the little table beside of the bed. He picked up his car keys and headed out. He had been like a caged animal and thought a drive might be just what he needed to clear his head.

"Girls, are you ready yet?" Chris asked trying not to be irritated.

"Yeah, come on. We really need to get a move on if we are going to be there by sunset," Jay said.

"We'll be right down," Trish hollered.

"Great, we'll be here all night. Might as well have a seat guys," Jay said with a sullen look.

Benoit noted their sour faces and grinned as they all sat down in the living room. The girls were all upstairs getting ready, much to the chagrin of Chris and Jay. He shook his head over the way they acted. He knew the guys were antsy wanting to go to the beach and all but they pouted over the silliest of things. "Guys, I'm sure they just want to look their best for you."

"Dude, do you have any idea how long it takes them to look their best?" Jay asked sarcastically. Benoit started to open his mouth but Jay continued talking. "No, you have _no idea_ how long it takes Trish to get ready." He turned his attention to Chris. "How long does it take Stephanie to get ready?"

Chris smiled a sad smile. "It depends on where we are goingand if I give her a time to be ready by. Considering that I _didn't_ do that and we've added _another_ female in the mix," Chris looked at his watch before continuing, "I daresay, we'll be here a while."

"Great, just freaking great," Jay said laying his head back on the couch.

Trish vowed to make sure that the next house Jay and her moved into had two sinks in the bathroom. She sighed as she picked up her brush and began pulling up her hair in a ponytail and noted how carefully Lilian was pulling her hair back. Unable to stop herself, she asked, "How are things going with Benoit?"

Lilian smiled a small smile and continued to pull part of her hair back into a ponytail leaving most of the back down. "He's a nice guy and I've enjoyed his company."

"And?" Stephanie asked wanting more.

Lilian looked at them and shook her head. She knew what they wanted but she really didn't feel like giving them anything. They had set her up, which she was okay with now, but at the time, it really bugged her. She really couldn't resist torturing them just a little. "There's not much else left to say. We've had some good conversations since we've been here."

"What did you guys talk about?" Trish asked curious as to what they would talk about.

"Mostly about you two couples and your problems," Lilian said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Oh really?" Stephanie said with an arched eyebrow. "We couldn't have been the only thing that you two talked about. What else did you discuss?"

Lilian smiled as she looked in the mirror pleased with her hair. She turned to look at the girls. "Look, while I appreciate your concern, it really is none of your business what we talked about."

"What? What do you mean it's _none_ of _our_ business?" Trish asked with an outraged look on her face. She couldn't believe that after everything her and Stephanie went thru that Lilian was claming up on them. "It most certainly is _our_ business."

"Oh really? I guess that would be because you two tried to do a little matchmaking this weekend," Lilian said with a knowing look.

Trish looked at Stephanie and Stephanie looked at Trish. They had no idea how she found out but it was pretty obvious that she knew what they had attempted to do. Seeing no way out, Stephanie shrugged her shoulders at Trish.

"Look, we weren't trying to be mean or anything. We just saw two of our really good friends that we thought might like each other," Trish said with an embarrassed look on her face.

Lilian tried to keep a straight face but finally busted out laughing. When she was finally able to contain herself, she spoke. "Look, I know that. I'm not mad. A little shocked maybe, but not mad. Besides, we are all here. Let's just make the best of it."

"Sounds good to me," Stephanie said with a smile. "Are we ready to go now?"

"I believe that we are," Trish said with a wink.

Randy had no idea where it was going. He had just gotten on the interstate and started traveling. Riding in a car was second nature to him these days and he always did his best thinking on the road. He looked at his watched and raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, I'm getting too used to this," he muttered out loud. He had been riding for an hour and didn't realize it. The constant traveling seemed to make time disappear quickly without warning. With a sigh, he put in another of his favorite traveling CD's and continued down the road with his mind whirling.

He couldn't help but wonder what made Chris live in Bradenton, FL. He looked around noticing the exits for Tampa and grinned. Now Tampa was his kind of town. Considering that he didn't know where Chris was, he decided that maybe a little time in Tampa was just what he needed.

"Dude, we are _so_ never making it to the beach," Jay muttered wishing he could make the girls hurry up. If they continued to move this slowly, they would miss the sunset and that was Jay's favorite part.

"Chill out, I'm sure they will be down shortly," Benoit said with an amused look on his face. "Besides, you don't have anything else better to do right now anyway."

"Oh please, I can think of plenty of things I could be doing right now," Jay said.

"Name one."

"Hey guys, we're ready," Trish said walking into the living room with a smile on her face. She noticed the relief on Jay's face and knew he had been antsy. "Honey-bunny, you know I have to look perfect to go out."

"I know, I just wish that it didn't take so long," Jay said with a sad look on his face. Noting the irritated stare on his girlfriend's face, he quickly spoke. "But baby, looking at you right now, it was _so_ worth the wait."

"Oh please," Benoit muttered under his breath while standing up. He shook his head wondering what it was that made men suck up like that. Most women appreciated honesty but then again; he had never met another woman like Trish and probably never would.

"So are we ready?" Stephanie asked walking in front of Chris. After kissing him on the lips quickly, she smiled at him. "I think a walk on the beach would be perfect."

"Where's Lilian?" Benoit asked.

"I'm right here, sorry. I forgot something in the bathroom and had to go get it," Lilian said with a smile walking up in front of him. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Chris, Stephanie, Jay, Trish, Benoit, and Lilian proceeded to the back door. They walked out in the back yard to the gate. They took their sandals off and left them by the gate. As they opened the gate, Jay and Chris high-fived each other. There was nothing like actually living on the beach.

"I think this is the coolest thing about where we live," Jay said taking in a deep breath. "Other than the pigeons shitting on my vehicle all the time, I would say this is paradise."

"I would have to agree with you there," Chris said with a smirk.

Jay quickly put his arm around Trish's shoulder. "I think we're all big enough to go our separate ways, don't you?"

"But of course," Chris said noticing the cocky look on Jay's face. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Dude, who do you think you are talking to?" Jay asked before turning around and walking off with Trish.

Chris stood there shaking his head. He could only imagine what Jay would try and talk Trish into in broad daylight. "More power to him," he muttered before noticing that Stephanie was at the water. He turned his attention to Benoit and Lilian. "Kids, my woman's down there so I'll be seeing you." With that, he walked towards Stephanie with a smile on his face.

"Looks like it's just the two of us," Lilian said with a smile.

"Looks that way, would you like to look for some sea shells?" Benoit asked with a small grin. He held out his elbow like any gentleman would.

"I would love to," Lilian said wrapping her arm in his noting the smile on his face.

Stephanie stood there mesmerized by the ocean. It never failed to amaze her to watch the water come crashing in on the shore. There was something magical about how the ocean could be that majestic and still provide life for the sea creatures. She felt Chris's arms around her waist and leaned back against him a little. "Isn't the ocean the most amazing thing that you've ever seen?"

"I'm holding the most amazing thing that I've ever seen," Chris murmured in her ear before kissing it softly.

"You say the sweetest things sometimes."

"Ssshh, don't tell anybody. You know, I would want to ruin my reputation."

"Want to go for a walk?"

"Lead the way, sweets."

Randy Orton was walking on the Tampa beach enjoying the scenery. Once he had rode around town for a little while, the ocean seemed to be calling his name. Unable to stop himself, he quickly found a place to park close to the ocean. He took his socks and shoes off leaving them in the car while he walked on the beach.

He loved everything about the ocean, from the air to the sun to the ocean itself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath inhaling the salt air. He opened his eyes and smiled a small smile as he noticed the sun starting to set. Looking at the colors of the clouds, for that moment, made him forget for a minute why he was there.

Suddenly, the reason that he was there came crashing back with a vengeance. He shook his head and started walking with his feet in the water feeling the sand literally float away with each wave. He wished he knew where Chris was; it would make things so much easier.

He stopped walking and just stood there letting the sand cover his feet. It felt cool and smooth which seemed to ease his troubled mind. He happened to turn to his right and his mouth dropped open.

There coming towards him was Chris and Stephanie. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they were still there and heading straight for him. He slowly pulled his feet out and headed towards them with a determined look on his face.

"Oh come on, you know you _want _to," Jay said with a lecherous look on his face. He had been trying for the last few minutes to get his girlfriend to make out under the pier. There was hardly anybody on the beach this time of day. He couldn't understand her resistance.

"Honey-bunny, just because I _want_ to doesn't mean that I _will_," Trish said with a smile. While she loved her boyfriend's spontaneity, she wasn't interested in making out and having any one of their friends find them. At the sad look on Jay's face, she smiled before kissing him softly on the lips. "Don't worry, I'll make up for it later."

"Really? You mean it?" Jay asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Of course I mean it silly. I would never kid about that with you," Trish said.

"Baby, you are so going to get it good later," Jay said raising his eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner. "And I mean, so good."

"You bet your ass it will be good," Trish said with a grin. "But first, you have to do something." Trish slowly started backing up away from Jay.

"What would that be?" Jay asked.

"You have to catch me first," Trish said before turning and running down the beach.

"Oh I'll catch you alright," Jay said quickly taking off after her. It was times like these that reminded him of how much fun Trish really was. As he reached out to grab her, she suddenly stopped and went the other way laughing while she did. He shook his head and changed direction bound and determined to catch her this time.

Lilian picked up a seashell and looked at it before setting it back down. She noticed the questioning look on Benoit's face and smiled. "I just like looking at them. They belong here on the beach and that's where I like to leave them."

"You know, I've never met anybody like you," Benoit said with a small smile.

"Is that a good thing?" Lilian asked.

"Oh most definitely," Benoit said with a smile.

They had walked for a couple of miles down the beach, looking at the seashells and watching the kids play. Eventually they had gone from Lilian holding his arm to just holding hands. All Benoit knew was that he didn't want this day to end.

"A penny for your thoughts," Lilian said noting the far off look on Benoit's face.

Benoit stopped walking and turned to look at her. Before he could change his mind, he slowly leaned her way kissing her softly on the lips. As he pulled back, he noticed the way her face seemed to light up. "I was just wishing that this day would never end."

"Isn't that funny? I was thinking the exact same thing," Lilian said before softly kissing him on the lips. She pulled back and noticed the intense look on Benoit's face.

He quickly wrapped his arms around, pulling her towards him, and kissing her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Lilian quickly wrapped her arms around him and relished the kiss thinking life didn't get any better than this.

"I'm glad we got over our mad spell," Stephanie said laying her head against Chris's shoulder a little while they walked.

"What mad spell? We didn't have a mad spell, we had a disagreement," Chris said with a knowing look on his face.

"Touché Mr. Jericho, turning my own words against me."

"Well, what can I say? I am the King of Bling Bling," Chris said with a knowing look. He kissed her softly on the lips. "Besides, I like arguing with you."

"Oh really?" Stephanie asked with an amused look on her face. She then stopped as she noticed somebody walking towards them as if they were on a mission. The closer he got, the more he looked like Randy Orton. "Is that who I think it is?"

Chris turned his attention away from his girlfriend to see Randy Orton standing in front of him. He turned to Stephanie and dryly said, "If you think that it's Randy Orton, then I would think that you are right."

"Stop it," Stephanie said punching him lightly on the arm. She then turned to Randy and said, "Ok, I'll bite. What are you doing here Randy?"

"Trying to protect you from Hunter and your father," Randy said with a serious look on his face.


	16. 16

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: First off, I would like to say I'm sorry for the time between updates. Here's hoping the muses stick around a little longer this time. As always, ALL reviews are welcome.

Stephanie and Chris looked at each other, then back at Randy. Neither one of them had had much dealings with the young man and weren't really sure what to think. Chris protectively wrapped his arm around Stephanie's shoulder before speaking.

"Look Junior, if this is your idea of a joke, it is definitely _not_ funny," Chris said with a touch of anger on his face. He couldn't believe what Randy was telling him. Then again, it was Hunter and Vince. Maybe there _was_ something more there.

"I know you don't know me very well and can totally understand why you wouldn't trust me," Randy said with a serious look on his face. He knew he had to make them believe him. Dave's life depended on it and he would be damned if he would let him down now. "However, I have no reason to lie."

"But why would _you_ be helping _me_?" Stephanie asked. She still wasn't sure whether she believed Randy or not but there was something in his eyes that made her think that maybe he was telling the truth. She didn't know him that well but his eyes were so clear and so imploring that she had to find out more.

"I'll be totally honest here, I've got an ulterior motive. I'm more worried about Dave," Randy said honestly. He figured honesty was the best policy, even now. He knew that Dave didn't really want anybody to know about their ongoing friendship but he had to make them believe him. Dave's very freedom could depend on it and now wasn't the time to worry about who knew about their friendship.

"Dave? What's Dave got to do with it?" Chris asked. Cold chills started going up his spine. It was at that moment that Chris was beginning to believe Randy. He didn't know what it was; maybe it was the look on his face or the urgency in his voice but something was definitely there and he couldn't ignore the warning signals that were going off in his head.

"Dave called me a few days ago. I knew something was wrong by the tone of his voice. He told me that Hunter is planning on kidnapping Stephanie at the next Raw. He also told me that Hunter had your father's approval," Randy said with a sad look on his face.

Stephanie stood there in shock. She really didn't want to believe Randy but looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but believe him. He looked totally sincere and worried. She looked at Chris and then looked back at Randy. "Why? Why would my father do that?"

"Your father is pretty pissed at the way you came back to the company without his help. On top of that, he doesn't like you being involved with Chris," Randy said. He hated watching Stephanie's face change from questioning to undeniable hurt. He hated to be the one to tell her the truth but he didn't really have any other choice.

"Ok, let me see if I have got this straight; Hunter is planning on kidnapping Steph at the next Raw and Vince has agreed to it," Chris said. He knew Vince could be cruel but he never thought that he was _that_ cruel. If the man would do that to his own daughter, then there was no way of knowing what he was truly capable of.

"Yes, I swear. It's all true," Randy said. He could see that they were starting to believe him and felt a glimmer of hope. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He knew that it was far from over; but at least, he and Dave were not alone now.

"Why did Dave come to you? I mean, they kicked you out of Evolution," Stephanie said. Her eyes showed the steely determination of a pissed McMahon. Vince should have remembered that she was her father's daughter. She could be just as ruthless and as cutthroat as her father, maybe it was time to remind him of that.

"Dave and I are best friends. I knew they were kicking me out and knew what they were going to do that night because Dave told me. We've kept our contact to a minimum due to Hunter but this is too much for him. You've got to remember that he was a cop. He may be part of Evolution but he still knows right from wrong," Randy said.

"Why send you? Why didn't Dave tell us himself?" Chris asked.

"Well, who would you believe? Seriously, would you have believed Dave if he had called you and told you this? No, you wouldn't have. Look, I don't know the specifics because Hunter is being tight lipped until Monday. All I know is that he wants Stephanie in the worst kind of way," Randy said.

"Oh my God," Stephanie said closing her eyes. She opened her eyes showing her fear again before the steely determination was back in her eyes. "I never knew he was _that_ insane. I mean, sure I knew he was an ego maniac but I never thought he liked me that much."

"It's not so much you he wants as it is the power that comes with your name," Randy said.

Chris tightened his hold on Stephanie and kissed her softly on her forehead. "Don't worry sweetheart, he'll never get his hands on you. Not while there is a breath in my body."

Stephanie looked up at him and knew he meant every word that he had just said. She trusted Chris with all of her being. While they had had their problems, she knew that he cared about her. She knew coming back to work would be a risk but she never saw this coming. It made her realize just how dangerous her father and Hunter really could be.

Chris turned back to Randy with a serious look on his face. "I don't know why I believe you but I do. But, if I have found out that you are playing games, I'll hurt you. Make no doubt about it, I will hurt you bad."

"I understand," Randy said with a sigh of relief. "I think we need to come up with some sort of a plan."

"I agree with you but we need to find the others first," Chris said with a determined look on his face. If Vince and Hunter wanted war, they had just found it.

"Then it's time to play the game," Stephanie said with a cold look in her eyes. She knew she had the advantage now because she knew what was coming. She also knew that there was no way in hell that they were going to get away with it. It was time to show her father just exactly what she made of.

Benoit and Lilian were sitting on the sand watching the sunset. Benoit had his legs spread and Lilian was between them leaning back on his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her tenderly noting the coolness of the air. "Are you getting cold?"

"No, not at all," Lilian said with a sigh. She turned her head slightly to look in to his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I don't think that I have ever been so warm."

Benoit chuckled a little and kissed her on her cheek. "You know, this was the last thing I would have thought to happen this weekend."

"Me too, but I'm so glad that I came. Besides, don't admit it to Steph and Trish yet, but we may owe them one for this," Lilian said.

"Trust me, I'm definitely not telling those two that we owe them. There is no telling what they would want in return," Benoit said with a grin on his face.

Benoit turned to his left and noticed Chris and Stephanie walked towards them with strange looks on their faces. He then noticed Randy Orton. Suddenly, he felt as though the weekend had just taken a turn for the worst. "Looks like we have company."

"Jay!" Trish hollered for the third time. She didn't understand where he could be. One minute they were lying there laughing and then the next minute, he took off running. By the time she got up from the sand, he was nowhere to be found.

Jay snuck around the pier waiting for Trish. He could barely keep the smile off of his face. He knew that she hated being surprised but he couldn't resist. Besides, he had to get a little bit of payback for her not making out with him. What kind of boyfriend would he be if he let her get by with it?

"Where could he be?" Trish asked herself walking towards the pier. She turned her head looking out towards the ocean when she felt herself being grabbed. She opened her mouth to scream but a hand prevented that from happening. Panic started taking over and she started struggling to get free until she heard his voice.

"Trish, it's me," Jay said in her ear trying to keep from getting hurt. He released her only to have her turn around with lighting speed and pound her fists on his chest.

"You jerk! You scared me to death," Trish said hitting him over and over and over again.

"Wait a second, it was just a joke," Jay said trying to block her fists and failing.

"Do you see me laughing?" Trish asked putting her hands on his chest and pushing him as hard as she could. As he landed on his ass, she felt a moment of satisfaction. "That was so not funny."

"You're telling me," Jay muttered with a sullen look on his face. "Don't worry, I won't do that again."

Trish closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought she heard somebody calling her name. She turned around and noticed Lilian waving at her, motioning for her to come. "Looks like the party is over."

"I'll say," Jay said getting up and wiping his butt off. He noticed Lilian and the others. "Let's go see what's up."

Hunter sat in his room with a drink in his hand and an evil smile on his face. It was so easy using people to get what he wanted that he actually considered writing a book about it. Then common sense kicked in. Why share his secrets with the world? Why not keep it all to himself? Besides, he didn't care if anybody else got their way as long as he got his.

He laughed out loud at his thoughts before taking a sip of his drink. Soon, he would have everything that he ever wanted. Dave would be out of Evolution for his crimes and he would rule the wrestling world with the Princess by his side. "It just doesn't get any better than that," he muttered out loud before finishing off his drink.

He stood up and walked over to the window after setting his drink down on the table beside of the chair. A little part of his felt bad about betraying Dave but he quickly shrugged it off. He had always used his friends to get ahead and that would never change. While Dave had been great at the beginning, he couldn't help but feel like his loyalty was questionable.

"Oh well, another one bites the dust," he muttered to himself. Soon he would have everything that he ever wanted. He just had to be patient and bide his time. Soon he would have everything that he ever dreamed of and more.

"What the hell? What do you mean Hunter's going to kidnap Stephanie?" Jay asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. He couldn't believe that Hunter was that stupid as to kidnap the boss's daughter. It didn't make sense.

"Look, all I know is that they are planning on kidnapping her at the next Raw," Randy said with a grim look on his face. He knew that convincing the others would be a challenge but he was more than up to the task. They had to believe him.

"Damn," Jay said wishing he knew what to say. For the first time in his life, he was speechless. He knew that life in the WWE would be exciting but he never imagined that it would be dangerous, especially not for the owner's daughter.

Trish and Lilian were standing next to Stephanie with fear in their eyes. All of a sudden, their weekend seemed to explode right in front of them. Trish put her arm around Stephanie and nodded at Lilian. She then pulled Stephanie away from the guys talking.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Trish asked rubbing her hand on Stephanie's arm. She could feel Stephanie trembling and it scared her. Stephanie had always been the strong one.

"Well, as well as can be expected considering what we've just been told," Stephanie said with a far away look on her face. She shrugged her shoulders. "I think I'm more disappointed than anything else. I mean, I knew my dad could be bad but I never imagined this."

"The guys aren't going to let anything happen to you. You know that, right?" Lilian asked.

"I know but damn, my own father?" Stephanie said looking out at the ocean. She had a flashback to how angry her father was that she was back with the company. She shook her head and that steely look in her eyes appeared. "It doesn't matter because he will get what is coming to him along with Hunter."

Trish pulled Stephanie in for a hug while Lilian stood there feeling helpless. Lilian and Trish made eye contact with understanding in their eyes. Stephanie was their friend and they would do whatever needed to be done in order to help her.

"What do we do?" Benoit asked in a serious tone.

"First off, she's not going to be left alone," Chris said with a determined look on his face. He turned to Randy. "Is there any way to talk to Dave?"

"I can try him on his cell phone but I don't know if he will be able to talk. He may be with Hunter and Ric," Randy said.

"Hellfire and damnation, we've got to try and find out more of their plan," Chris said. He couldn't believe what was happening. One minute everything seemed to be going so well and now, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. He glanced over at Stephanie noticing how determined she looked. "Damn it to hell, look at her. She doesn't deserve this from her own father. Hell, nobody deserves to be done that way by their father."

Benoit, Jay, and Randy quickly turned to look at Stephanie noticing that she did indeed look determined. The three men turned back to Chris with matching determination in their eyes. There was only one thing on their mind and that was to protect Stephanie at all costs, no matter what the cost.

"I say, we just go in on Monday and kick all of their asses," Benoit said with fire in his eyes. He knew Hunter was a sick bastard but he never imagined him doing this. It made him realized that the man lived in a fantasy world. He thought he was dangerous to some degree but not this dangerous.

"No, we can't do that," Randy said with a panicked look on his face. "If you guys let them know that you know, they are going to figure out that Dave is the one who let the cat out of the bag. We're going to have to play this out carefully."

"We? What's this 'we' stuff?" Chris asked.

"Look, I know you guys don't trust me. I get that. But I'm not going to let my best friend go down this way. If that means protecting Stephanie, then so be it. Besides, Hunter's a predator that needs to be stopped."

"He's right, you know," Benoit said with a gleam in his eyes. Hunter was a shrewd man who knew how to get exactly what he wanted. They were dealing with a highly intelligent man. "Besides, I say we beat him at his own game."

"I like the sound of that," Jay said with a smirk. He lightly punched Chris in the arm to get his attention. "What do you say Chris? Do you want to play the game?"

"Oh hell yeah, I'm going to play the game. And you can bet your ass, that I'm going win," Chris said with a determined look on his face. He then turned his attention back to the girls. "Let's get the girls and head back towards the house."

"Sounds good to me," Jay said with a smile. He then turned to Randy. "You are more than welcome to come with us, if you want."

"Thanks man, I appreciate that. Besides, I think we all need to go over every possible scenario that can happen. You know, cover all of our options. When we get there, I'll call Dave and see if he can talk."


	17. 17

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: I do not have any excuse for not posting other than the muses got stuck for a little while. However, I'm proud to say that those days are over and the muses are working rather nicely right now. Thanks for all those who have waited patiently (and impatiently) for updates. Remember all reviews, good or bad, are welcomed!

Dave walked back and forth in his motel room like a caged animal ready to pounce on the first thing that moved. He took his hand and rubbed his neck in frustration. He was so tense and there was nothing he could do about it.

Pacing back and forth, he couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen in the next few days. There was one thing that he knew wouldn't happen; nothing would happen to Stephanie McMahon. He didn't care what Hunter wanted him to do; he was having no part of kidnapping the youngest McMahon.

While it very well may mean the end of his career, he really didn't give a damn at that point. This was about taking somebody's freedom away from them. It went against everything Dave believed in and he just simple could not do it. He had portrayed a lie with Evolution and it was coming back to haunt him.

The memories of all the wild parties flashed thru his mind like a bad television movie. At first, it was the life that men only dream of. He had been with some beautiful women and had enjoyed their company for short periods of time. After a while, the beautiful women all looked the same as they were only there for bragging rights.

Slowly but surely, he had begun to pull away from it all. He would plead needing to work out or blame it on taking a bad bump; it hadn't taken much, explanation wise, for Hunter and Ric to leave him alone after that. That kind of lifestyle, while exciting at first, seemed to be an empty way to live life.

The shrilling ring of the telephone stopped him in his tracks. His heart went to pounding in his chest like he had just gotten off of a treadmill at the gym. He had only one thought on his mind, _"Please don't be Hunter."_ He needed time and space from him for now. He slowly walked over to the phone and picked it up. With a deep breath, he spoke. "Hello?"

"Dave man, I'm glad I found you," Randy said the relief in his voice evident. Everything seemed to be working in their favor but Dave didn't know that. He smiled as he let his friend hear exactly what he needed to hear. "I found Stephanie and Chris. They know everything."

"Do they believe you?" Dave asked with a look of relief on his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew things would only get tougher from here on out, but at least now, he wasn't alone. The weight of the world seemed to melt off of his shoulders and for the first time in a long time, he actually smiled a real smile.

"Yeah, they do," Randy said with a small smile looking over his shoulder. Chris, Jay, and Benoit were standing there nodding their heads in agreement. Randy felt better and better by the second. Everything was going to work out; he could feel it in his bones. "We need to know what exactly they have planned so far."

Dave took a deep breath and looked out the window. He noticed a dove flying in the sky and took it as a sign from above. It was time to spread his wings and fly. Fly as far away from Hunter and his influence as he could get. "So far, they haven't said anything specific. I do know that it is going to take place during Raw. Which part of Raw, they haven't decided on yet."

"Okay, we can use that," Randy said thoughtfully. Randy looked over at Chris with a calm but sad look on his face. It wasn't much to go on but at least it was something. It would have made things much easier if they had had an exact time. At least, they knew of a five-hour time frame. Everybody had to arrive early for the live shows and if it were actually during the show, it would be within a 2-½ hour time frame. While it really didn't seem like much, it was better than not knowing anything at all.

"Let me talk to him," Chris said quietly holding out his hand. He owed this man for the risk he was taking. It was time to let him know that he had a few good men on his side. He took the phone from Randy, with a wink. "Dave, it's Chris."

"Hey Chris," Dave said quietly wondering what was going on. He had heard the exchange between Chris and Randy. He found it surprising that Chris wanted to talk to him. They didn't know each other very well. "What can I do for you?"

"First off, thank you for giving us the heads up," Chris said quietly. He looked over at Stephanie on the couch and a rage seemed to take over his body. He quickly took a deep breath and shook his head of its dangerous thoughts. "Stephanie means the world to me and I will do whatever it takes to protect her."

"I'm sorry that it's happening. I almost feel responsible. There must have been a way to see this coming," Dave said with sadness in his voice. He knew that Chris and Stephanie really cared about each other. He had seen them together, not only on the night of the Highlight Reel, but afterwards as well. To say that those two cared about each other was an understatement.

"No, I don't think that there was. Hunter would have bided his time until the time was right and struck quickly. You just happen to be the one that he has chosen to take the fall," Chris said honestly. After working with Hunter for as long as he had, he knew what kind of darkness lurked just beneath the surface. He had seen it a time or two and never wanted to see it again.

"As soon as I find out for sure the time, I will call Randy. I give you my word on that," Dave said quietly into the phone. He needed Chris to know that he was there for the long haul. He didn't care what he had to do but he was going to fix this mess before it got any messier than it already was.

"Thanks man, I appreciate that. I'll give the phone back to Randy. Be careful and good luck," Chris said before handing the phone back to Randy who, with a nod to the rest of them, walked into another part of the house.

Chris walked over to Benoit and Jay with a small smile on his face. Dave seemed to be on the up and up. He also couldn't help but feel in his gut that Dave was one of the good guys. "I think we've found a new friend."

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Benoit asked with a hesitant look on his face. He didn't know Dave very well and didn't know what to think of him. Other than nodding their heads at each other in the hallways, that was basically the only communication they had ever had.

"I'm going to trust my gut on this one," Chris said while placing his hand on Benoit's shoulder. He gave it a tight squeeze and then released it. "My gut tells me that he wants to stop this just as much as we do, if not more so."

"Why do you say that?" Jay asked. He didn't know Dave very well either. He was still reeling with the knowledge that Vince was behind kidnapping his own daughter. Then suddenly it hit Jay; Vince _did_ do that one time in the story lines. "Hey guys, I just thought of something."

"What?" Chris asked intrigued by the look in Jay's eyes. "What is it?"

"Okay, call me crazy but do you remember when Vince did the story line with Stephanie? You know, the one where he had her kidnapped, only you didn't know it was him at the time, but found out later on," Jay said speaking quickly as if on the edge of something brilliant.

"Yeah, it was a few years ago when she first got out of college," Chris said rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He could feel his heart beating in excitement. He knew where his friend was going with it and smiled. "You think Vince will do this the same way he did it in the story line."

"Well sure," Jay said with a smile. He winked at him. "He has already done it this way _successfully_. Maybe Vince is just foolish enough to think that it would _actually_ work in the real world."

"Damn it Jay, sometimes your brain scares the hell out of me," Benoit said shaking his head in amazement. "Just when I think that I've got you figured out, you pull one out of your _ass _to show that you not really as _stupid_ as you _pretend _to be."

"Ssshh, don't tell anybody," Jay said holding his finger up to his lips. "Besides, life is _way_ more fun that way," he said with a smirk.

"Stephanie, are you okay?" Trish asked.

The girls were in the living room kind of cuddled up together. Stephanie was in the middle while Trish had her arm around her. Lilian had her head on Stephanie's shoulder and was holding her hand.

The tears were quietly falling down Stephanie's cheeks. The realization of what her father was planning to do to her was too much for her. He was her father, for crying out loud. He was supposed to protect her. She never thought that she would really ever need protection from her own father. He was supposed to love and protect her.

"No, not really but what does it really matter?" Stephanie said with her voice choked up. The tears kept falling silently down her face as she talked. "I mean, I can't be the only girl in the world that has a maniac for a father."

"Probably not sweetie, but hey, at least you have friends that love you," Trish said with a small smile. She reached up and wiped Stephanie's tears from her face. "Besides, we still have an ace in the hole. Actually two aces."

"What? What are you talking about?" Stephanie said with a mystified look on her face. She turned to look at Trish with questioning eyes. Her eyes widened and a small smile started emerging on her face. "I know exactly what you are thinking."

"Yes sweetie, you sure do," Trish said with a smile laced with a smirk. She pulled her arm out from around Stephanie's shoulders. She jumped up off of the couch and started pacing while talking everything out in her mind.

"You know, those two helping us out, oh man, we could really do some damage," Trish said with an evil smirk. She put her hands on her hips and stopped in front of Stephanie. "Would like a little revenge on your dad for the whole 'mental institution' angle with your mom? I know that I would."

"I would love to," Stephanie said with an evil smirk of her own. She quickly wiped the tears from her face and jumped up with a smile on her face. She then took Trish in her arms, hugging her, while Lilian smiled from the couch. "Not only is it time to finish playing the game, it's time to _beat _the game."

Vince McMahon took a sip out of his drink before setting it back on his desk. He then looked at the picture of his family on his desk and grimaced. He just couldn't understand why his children treated him the way that they did.

They absolutely did not have a shred of respect for him or the business that he had sacrificed so much to build. He couldn't understand it at all. He had given them everything that they could have possibly wanted. He had taken them on trips to see the world. Most children would have been grateful for that, but not his children.

Shane turned out to be a mama's boy in the worst kind of way. With his face grimaced, he thought of his son, the man that he thought would run the company some day. "There's no chance in hell," he muttered to himself as he picked his drink back up. Taking a long swig, he sat there holding his glass and staring at the floor.

Shane was not a problem right now, Stephanie was. In his mind, it was time to teach his youngest child a very valuable lesson. She had to learn to obey her father, in all things. It wasn't right for a child to disrespect her father's authority, in the most blatant way possible, on his show, Raw.

"Damn it," Vince said slamming the glass down on the desk. Whiskey spilled up towards the side, spilling a few drops on the desk. With a glassy-eyed look, his face suddenly started smiling. "She can't get away from me. She's done wrong and Stephanie must _pay_ for what she has done."

Shane backed away from his father's study with a worried look on his face. He had seen his father like this before and it was something that he had hoped to never see again. His dad had the look of a man on a mission of destruction. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, which were burning bright with steely determination.

He slowly turned and started walking towards the front door. He had stopped by to show his father the new layout planned for the website. He had gotten to the door just as Vince slammed his drink down on the desk. Hearing what his father had to say made him feel chills up and down his spine.

He walked out the door and quickly to his car. He had to talk to Stephanie. He had to. He didn't have a choice. There were times when Shane had doubts about his father's sanity. This was one of those times.

He got into the Lexus and cranked up the car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he muttered, "What kind of man wants revenge like that on his daughter?"

He quickly pulled out onto the road wondering and thinking about what to do. He knew he had to talk to Stephanie, the sooner the better. However, he had no clue as to where she was. She was bad about not keeping her cell phone on when she was out with friends.

"Okay Shane, think," Shane muttered while putting his hand up to tap on his lips. "Who could she be hanging out with?"

Chris flashed thru his head but he grimaced. He didn't have his cell phone number. Jay and Trish flashed thru his mind and he grimaced again, he didn't have their cell phones either. Suddenly he grabbed his cell phone, looking at the numbers programmed into his directory. He smiled as he saw that he had Lilian Garcia's number. "She's good friends with Trish. I bet she could give me her cell number," Shane said as he pushed send on his phone.

Stephanie sat there feeling better, now that Chris was sitting beside of her. Trish and Lilian had quietly walked out of the room when Chris walked in and sat down beside of Stephanie. He had his arm around her and held her as tightly to himself as he could without making her uncomfortable. She sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. "I could stay like this forever," Stephanie said with her eyes closed.

Chris smiled softly before kissing her softly on the forehead. He loved how any time he touched her, or kissed her, that she always leaned towards him. She made him feel things that he had never felt before with anybody. He had never really thought to analyze his feelings too much. He just knew that he would never let anything happen to her; he would die first. "Me too."

Stephanie pulled her head back and looked into his blue eyes. "You know, I bet you weren't banking on this much excitement by hiring me as your manager."

Chris laughed a little before mock punching her on the cheek. "Well, you know, I knew it would be one hell of a ride." He then rubbed his finger on the tip of her nose. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Why did we let so much time pass between us?" Stephanie asked with a questioning look on her face. It had been on her mind and decided that she needed to know just exactly how long he had had a crush on her. "Tell me something Jericho, how long have you been crushing on me?"

Chris smiled with an amused look on his face. "I daresay, the first time I called you a filthy, dirty, disgusting, brutal,bottom feeding, trash bag ho."

"Wow, that long, huh?" Stephanie asked with an amused look on her face. She pursed her lips for a minute before a sly smile appeared. She looked at him like she could ravish him and Chris could only imagine the things that the woman in front of him, with that intense look in her eyes, could and hopefully, would do to him one day. Then she spoke softly as if telling him a secret. "You know, it always kind of made me hot when you called me all those dirty little names."

Chris eyes immediately flared up and noticed how her eyes lit up even more when he looked at her that way. "You know, I always knew that it did. You could tell by the way you looked at me with those hopeful eyes, desperatelybeggingme to kiss you."

Stephanie felt a heat run thru her body that shocked her for just a moment before she decided to just revel in it. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips softly before pulling back. "You know what, I think that maybe it's time."

Chris felt as though a monster had been unleashed from its cage. His nostrils flared while his eyes burned so bright that they looked white. There was no mistaking what she meant. "Are you sure that you are ready for this? I can't promise control."

Stephanie laid her hand on his cheek. "I don't want control."

Chris grabbed her hand and kissed it softly while groaning. He quickly stood up and pulled her into his arms and held her while rubbing her hair. She closed her eyes while wishing they could stay like this forever. As much as Chris wanted her, he knew that he couldn't. "Now is not the time, sweet cheeks."

"I know," Stephanie muttered against his shoulder. She pulled back and smiled. "It was fun though, wasn't it?"

"Well, give me a few minutes to control my 'manly' self and I'll let you know," Chris said chuckling at the look on her face. She looked horrified. "It's okay Stephanie. I am a big boy, I can control it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to go that far," Stephanie said with a slight blush on her face. She wasn't blushing because she was sorry. She was blushing so she could keep her head down and checked out her boyfriend's package. She suddenly wished that they were alone.

"Stephanie, I swear, you should get an Academy Award for your acting skills," Chris said shaking his head. He had known her for a long time and knew how she operated. She could work it, play it, and act it, in ways that left most people speechless.

"Now Chris, I don't know what you are talking about," Stephanie said with a mystified look on her face. She knew he was on to her but she wanted to know if he was just guessing. She had a pretty decent chance of that being the case.

"Oh yes, you do," Chris said with a smirk. He reached up with his hand and caressed her neck. "You knew very well what you were doing just a minute ago," he said moving around behind her to kiss her neck where his hand at been. He smiled as he felt her shiver. "Just like I know exactly what I'm doing to you."

"What?" Stephanie said breathless and her eyes closed. When he touched her with his hand, she had already felt a little warm. When she felt his warm breath on her neck, and then his soft kiss in her most sensitive part of her neck, well she couldn't do anything but feel like jello at the current moment.

Chris got back in front of her and kissed her softly on the lips, just barely touching them. He pulled back and brushed her hair behind her ears. "When I make love to you Princess, it's going to be the most amazing, most awesomely, wonderful thing you have ever felt."

Stephanie opened her eyes and gasped at the look on Chris's face. She could see the hunger he had for her. She couldn't stop herself from throwing herself in his arms.

Chris quickly wrapped his armsaround her and held her tight. They needed to get control and now. Things had started out teasingly but now, the want and the need came screaming from the both of them, demanding some sort of satisfaction.

Stephanie closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing. Now wasn't the time for this. When this happened, she wanted to be alone with the man she loved. She quickly opened her eyes and smiled. Up until that moment, she didn't realize that she had loved Chris but it was staring her in the face, daring her to deny it. She loved him. It was as simple as that.

"We need to chill out Princess," Chris muttered against her hair. He quickly pulled himself away from her but grabbed her hands. He opened his mouth to speak when Lilian walked into the room.

"Oops, sorry guys, am I interrupting?" Lilian asked with a slight blush on her face. Both of their faces were flushed and they were breathing a little on the heavy side. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they had been doing.

"No, not at all," Stephanie said grateful for the interruption. "What's up?"

Lilian held out her cell phone with a smile. "Shane is on my cell, he's been looking for you. He needs to talk to you."

With a mystified look on her face, Stephanie took the phone. Lilian turned to walk out and Chris grabbed her by the arm. "Could you tell everybody to come in here for a minute? Something is telling me that this might be important."

"Sure Chris," Lilian said with a sad smile. She quickly turned and walked out of the room.

"Hello?"

"Stephanie, thank God I found you. Listen, dad has wigged out big time," Shane said with a relived look on his face. At least, he found her quickly.

"Yeah, I know," Stephanie muttered in a bored tone. "He's planning on kidnapping me at the next Raw. I think 'wigged out' is a tame term for it Shane."

"Kidnapping you? What are you talking about?" Shane asked.

Stephanie took a deep breath. She could hear the car radio and knew he was riding in his car. "Find a place to pull over. Once you do that, I'll tell you everything that we know."


	18. 18

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: I told you that the muses were finally working! LOL! There is a slight reference to Friends in this chapter, let see how many of you watched Friends. (I'm so missing that show!) Anyway, remember to leave a review please. Thanks!

Hunter paced his motel room with a disgusted look on his face. He hadn't talked to Dave all weekend and he was starting to get nervous. He knew that something was wrong with the big man. He just wasn't sure what it was.

"Damn it," he muttered pushing his hair out of his face. He quickly sat down in the chair and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocked. It was Monday morning and it was time to start planning out the details of the greatest 'coo' ever.

Kidnapping Stephanie was going to be like taking candy from a baby. Vince had called him the night before and laid everything out, piece by piece, like a delicate jigsaw puzzle that had to be put together with care. With eyes bright, Hunter's eyes slowly began to gleam darker and darker as he pictured everything Vince was saying to him on the phone. It was pure genius and he couldn't help but admire Vince's devious, yet calculating, mind.

He flipped open his phone and pressed a button. He nodded his head each time the phone rang. Frustration showed on his face until after the third ring, the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

"Dave, man how are you doing?" Hunter asked with a bright, cheery voice. There was no need to let Dave know that he didn't trust him. Besides, if everything worked out right, Dave wouldn't be around anymore anyway. "Tonight's the big night, you ready big man?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Dave said with a bored tone in his voice. He knew he had to play this just right. There was going to be hell to pay when this all came down and he knew exactly who was going to pay for it. With a smirk on his face and a smirk in his voice said, "When do we go over the details?"

"I was thinking that we could do that when we meet at the airport," Hunter said with a relaxed, almost cocky look on his face. "I don't like discussing stuff like this on the phone."

"No problem, I'll see you at the airport," Dave said with a cocky tone to his voice. He quickly hung up his cell phone with a smile on his face. "Time for you to go down Hunter."

Ric Flair walked around the room with a concerned look on his face. Sometime during the night, a thought popped into his head. It was a thought that had kept him wide-awake for the rest of the night.

For the first time in a long time, his conscience was starting to bother him. He was a father and shuddered to think of lowering himself to do something that low, that ugly to one's own daughter. In fact, he could only sit and think of the horror it would do to one of his own daughters, if he had done that to them.

He slowly sat down on the bed looking at his hands. While he had never been a stellar dad, he had been there for his children when he could. All of his children loved him and trusted him unconditionally. He rubbed his head in frustration before taking his hands and covering his eyes.

"What am I going to do?" he muttered out loud with his head still down. He rubbed his eyes and then looked down at his hands. They were shaking. He started rubbing his hands together in a nervous gesture. "What am I going to do?"

Stephanie woke up with a smile on her face. She had an arm wrapped around her waist and one heck of a man up against her backside, keeping her good and warm. It felt good to be in his arms, the arms of the man that she was in love with.

With a silly smile on her face, she took her finger and gently rubbed his arm. Chris was brave, sexy, sweet, cute, aggravating, and he was all hers. Like a cat that had just licked up a can of cream, she closed her eyes and moaned softly in contentment.

Chris opened his eyes and grinned. He had been awake for just a minute. Her rubbing his arm had slowly but surely brought him back to the land of the living. Hearing her moan was like music to his ears. He pulled her tightly against himself and placed his lip near her ear. After a soft kiss, he whispered. "Good morning Princess."

"Good morning Jericho," Stephanie whispered back. She took her arms and placed them on top of his, squeezing them slightly as she did so. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, you?"

Stephanie smiled as she spoke. "I don't think that I have ever slept better."

"Who knew _just_ sleeping together would be this satisfying?"

Stephanie opened her eyes and grinned. "_I know_!"

Chris chuckled and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She laid her head down on his shoulder and rubbed his stomach while his arm rubbed her shoulder. "I don't ever want to leave this room."

"Me either," Stephanie said with a smile. She turned her head up and looked at him. "You know, I have something to tell you."

"Oh really?" Chris asked with an amused look on his face with a tad bit of fear. She had an unusual look on her face; one that he had never seen before. The look intrigued him and scared him at the same time.

Seeing the look of fear on Chris's face, she quickly put her head down and hugged him. The last thing that she wanted to do was scare him. "Nothing, we can talk about it some other time."

"Are you sure Steph? It looked really important to you," Chris said curiosity getting the best of him. With a gleam in his eyes, he quickly grabbed her hands and put them above her head.

"What? What are you doing?" Stephanie asked with a shocked tone in her voice. Noting her heads about her head, she turned to look at her boyfriend. He looked like the cat that ate the canary, smug and smart. "Have you lost your _freaking_ _mind_?"

"Nope, I'm just going to make you tell me what's on your mind," Chris said with a knowing look. He knew he could get it out of her. He knew a surefire way to get it out of her.

"Oh really, well, I have changed my mind. I don't want to talk about it right now," Stephanie said with a stubborn look on her face. There was no way he was making her tell him what she was thinking. Everything just felt wrong and she wanted this to be right.

"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you," Chris said with an almost sad look on his face. He quickly smiled and put her wrists in one hand. He then slowly took his hand down, touching the most ticklish places on her body.

"Chris, no! Stop that!" Stephanie said with a chuckle in her voice. She couldn't believe that he had resorted to the tickling card. "I call foul. This is not a 'tickling' moment."

"Oh really?" Chris asked while moving his hand. He quickly slid it to her knee and grabbed the especially sensitive spot behind it. Stephanie immediately began laughing as if possessed.

"Stop! Stop it!" Stephanie said losing her breath. She struggled to get her hands free but Chris had a firm grip and wasn't letting go. "Please, I can't breath."

"Tell me what was on your mind," Chris said while continuing to torture her.

"No, it can wait," Stephanie said with laughter all in her voice. She was to the point where when she spoke; she spoke with laughter. Laughing loudly, she desperately tried to pull her hands away again, to no avail.

"You're going to have to tell me," Chris said grabbing the other knee, smiling in triumph when Stephanie began squealing with laughter. He had her now. He knew and she knew it.

"I love you," Stephanie laughed. Suddenly she felt as though she could breath as Chris finally stopped tickling her. She looked up at him, breathing hard, wondering if he had heard her.

Chris looked down at her with a stunned but amazed look on his face. "You love me?" he asked quietly with a strange look on his face.

"Yes, I love you," Stephanie said admitting it without guilt. She smiled as she noticed him smiling back at her. "How's that sit with you?"

"That sits wonderfully," Chris said reaching down to kiss her softly on the lips. He pulled back and looked at her in awe. It suddenly hit him what it was he felt every time he was around Stephanie. He finally had a name for it. "Cause I love you too."

Stephanie's eyes widened and so did her smile. Chris smiled back and they both fell into each other's arm, laughing in joy. Just holding each other and feeling the love flow between them, made them feel as though they could conquer the world.

Suddenly the world came crashing in with a knock on the door. "Chris, Stephanie, you guys up?" Jay asked. It was almost time to go to the airport and they really needed to get a move on.

"Yeah, we'll be out in a minute," Chris said with a sad look on regret on his face. He kissed her softly and waited to hear Jay walk back down the hall before speaking. "I wish we could stay and revel in this moment, but we really do have to get going."

"I know but you what? I'm not scared any more," Stephanie said with a smile. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. "I've got the man that I'm in love with watching over me."

"You damn straight you do," Chris said with a grin and a smile. He leaned down and kissed her softly and then pulled back. "Come on Princess, we have got to get moving."

Shane walked out of the airport with a determined look on his face. After talking to Stephanie, he had decided to trade in his flight for an earlier one. He wanted to check out the arena before everybody started showing up. Right now, there was only the ring crew in the arena.

He briskly walked to the sign that said "McMahon" and walked up to the driver. "Hey, I'm Shane, let's go."

"Yes sir," the driver said with a serious look on his face. "May I take your bag sir?"

"No thank you," Shane said with a grin. "Let's just get going."

They walked thru the airport quickly. Shane tried to stay behind the driver as to hide his face. He had too much to do and not enough time to do it in. While he loved meeting the fans, he didn't have time today.

They walked outside and the driver quickly walked up to his limo. He opened the door and tipped his hat as Shane placed his bag in the limo before getting in himself. He quickly lowered the glass and told the driver where he wanted to go. He then raised the window and grabbed a bottle of water out of the mini fridge.

He quickly took the top of and gulped down three good gulps when his phone rang. He quickly put the top back on his bottle and answered the phone. "Hello." A few seconds passed as he listened to the person who had called him. "I'm glad that you called me back. Are you in?" Shane smiled as he heard the answer. "Great. I'll let everybody know. Talk to you soon." With that, he quickly pressed the end button and laughed out loud.

Vince walked into the arena with a wicked stagger in his step and an evil, grin on his face. Today was the day of reckoning for his youngest daughter and he could hardly wait. He quickly checked his watch and smiled. He was earlier than normal but he needed to scope out the place.

After asking the arena help for directions, he quickly found where his office was and opened the door. He walked in and set his briefcase down on the desk. He then quickly turned and walked back out with a determined look on his face.

He took note of everything as he walked around. The plan all centered on the perfect spot for Stephanie to be held until after the show. Taking her out before everybody left was not an option. In order for it to work, nobody could see her leave.

He walked down a few halls and then noticed a closet. He turned and looked left and right, making sure nobody was watching him. He opened the door and smiled. It was perfect. It looked sound proof and he could get the keys to it. With an evil grin, he turned around and walked up the hall, oblivious of the slightly open door right across from the closet. The door opened and the person in there smiled as Vince walked up the hall.

"Okay guys, this is it. Are we ready?" Chris asked.

Chris, Stephanie, Trish, and Jay had just arrived at the arena. It was a little bit harder to maintain the 'non-chalet' attitude. They had to act like they didn't have a care in the world. They couldn't let their guard down tonight. Stephanie's safety depended on it.

"I'm ready," Jay said quietly opening the door to the vehicle. He stepped out, holding out his hand, to assist Trish out of the vehicle while Stephanie and Chris opened their doors and walked out.

Jay quickly wrapped his arm around Trish's shoulder and smiled. "Baby, you look good enough to eat."

Trish smiled flirtatiously as she batted her eyes. "Would you like a bite?"

Jay looked at her with lust on his face. "Baby, you know it."

"Knock it off, ass clown," Chris said pushing Jay slightly. "Keep it up and we're putting you in the showers."

"Yeah, the cold showers," Stephanie said with a smirk on her face. She reached down and grabbed Chris's hand, feeling a little jolt when he gave her a squeeze and a wink. She knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her tonight. She also knew that her father and Hunter were finally going to get what he deserved.

The four of them walked in joking and laughing the whole way. They had even said hello to a few superstars that thought they had lost their minds. Shaking their heads in laughter, they quickly walked into their dressing room. The minute the door shut, the mood in the room changed. The seriousness in the air was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife.

Hunter sat at the window seat on the airplane looking out at the runway. The plane was getting ready to land and he was getting anxious to get his plan in motion. He grinned a small smile while thinking of all that he would attain before the night was over.

The plane landed and Hunter quickly exited the plane with a certain cocky swagger that had been made by him and only him. Flair had the strut but he had the swagger. He quickly walked into the airport to notice Dave standing there with a small smile on his face. He walked up to him and stuck his hand out.

Dave quietly took the hand, into his own hand, and shook it firmly. He wanted to make sure that Hunter didn't suspect one thing. It wasn't going to be that hard. All he had to do was just keep telling Hunter how great he was and what a great plan it was. "Well, where's Ric?"

"He said he would meet us there. Something about Vince needing him at the arena earlier than usual," Hunter said with a shrug of his shoulders. If there was one person in this plan that Hunter wasn't worried about, it was Ric. He was a great mastermind and Ric was a lot like himself. He grinned at Batista before speaking. "Besides, you're the one that I need to talk to. You, _my friend_, are the going to make _this_ night, the _best_ night of _my_ life."

"Oh, I most assuredly _am_," Dave said with a small smile on his face. He knew that Hunter was buttering him up but he was ready for him. He was going down and there was nothing Hunter could do to stop it. "I can't wait to get started.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear big man. Let's get the limo. We'll talk there," Hunter said quickly dismissing Dave as if he didn't exist. He quickly walked the airport with that stagger and a cocky look on his face.

Dave smiled and put his sunglasses on. He knew that Hunter thought tonight was going to be the night that all of his dreams came true. "Too bad," he muttered to himself as he walked behind him. Tonight was going to be a nightmare for Hunter. With that thought, he walked behind him silently, feeling better and better by the second.


	19. 19

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

Chris came thru the door with a smile on his face. He had just convinced Vince to move the Highlight Reel to the beginning of the show. He knew that to be a fact. He also knew that Vince was going to try and take her at the beginning of the show. He had Trish and Christian scheduled, which really sucked. Chris knew then that Vince was taking every pre-caution to catch her alone.

With a smile, he looked at Stephanie. She looked at him and he just melted. He hoped she never found out what kind of effect that could have on him. If she did, Lord only knew what she would be able to make him do. "Highlight Reel first, as promised."

"Nice job Jericho only as your business manager, I should have been the one to handle that," Stephanie said with a smirk on her face. She loved the way he looked at her with a smile on his face. She hoped he never found out how much he affected her; she could be in a lot of trouble.

"Normally, I would agree with you but tonight, you need to remember that I'm the boss," Chris said rather smugly with folding his arms in front of his chest. There was nothing else more fun that picking on Stephanie. It was fun before they started dating and now, it seemed to be even more fun.

"Oh really?" Stephanie asked with a gleam in her eyes. "Well, I guess that I will just have to quit being your manager." She knew he wouldn't let her quit. It was only an excuse to get him a little fired up. Besides, the whole situation with her father was under control now. There was nothing to be afraid of.

"I don't think so Princess," Chris said pulling her into his arms. He kissed her softly on the lips and then looked into her eyes. "You've got to stick it out. I've got a 'No-Quit' clause in my contract on the both of us."

Stephanie busted out laughing and hugged him hard. She didn't know what she did to deserve this handsome, sexy guy but she sure did love the fact that he was hers. "I swear, if I really wanted to, I could find a way out of that contract but I think I'll stay and see how things go. We'll take it from there."

Shane walked down the hall with a smile. He knew that he had a serious 'ace' in the hole. There was no way that anybody could see this one coming. It was going to take his father out and hard, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. His father had made his bed; now, he had to lay in it.

He quickly walked down the hallway and saw his father heading towards him. He could see that crazed look in his eyes from where he was standing. He was curious to see how his father would act around him. He quickened the pace and saw his father turn to leave. "Dad!"

Vince turned around to see his son coming towards him. _"What could he possibly want?"_ he asked himself before smiling at Shane. "Shane, when did you get here?"

"Just now," Shane said with a small smile on his face. "I've got some new layouts for you to look at for the website. Have you got a minute?"

Vince immediately looked antsy. "No, not right at the moment. Can you give me about, oh I don't know," he said looking down at his watch. "About an hour?"

"Sure dad, take all the time you need. I'll find you later," Shane said with a smile. He patted his father on his shoulder before walking off in the opposite direction. He now had a time frame. "It's time for you to go down dad."

Hunter sat there in the locker room looking cockier than ever. He knew that by having Stephanie at his side, it was only a matter of time before he got his belt back from Benoit. "Everything that I have ever dreamed of is getting ready to come true Dave."

"I know," Dave said with a small smile. He couldn't help but be amused by the man, just a little. Hunter didn't know what was really going to happen, but Dave did. "Man, I wish I knew how you were going to feel later, when you're at the top of the mountain, looking down on all of us little peasants."

"You're not a peasant, my friend," Hunter said with a wink. He was lying his ass off and he knew it, but he had found that buttering someone up before sticking the knife in his back, well, it made things smoother. "You're my right-hand man. You'll be right by my side on top of that mountain, looking down at the ones who don't deserve to breath our air."

"Sounds good to me," Dave said with an evil smile. He knew that this was going to be the sweetest moment in his life. Sitting there, knowing that Hunter thought it was all going his way, was worth its weight in gold. To watch Hunter finally have to pay for all of his mistakes and evil ways, that was priceless.

Ric walked out of Vince's office with a panicked look on his face. He knew what he was supposed to do, but he didn't know how he was going to do it. He had to be careful. He didn't want this all blowing up in his face.

"Man, I wish this night was over with," Ric said while looking for Evolution's locker room. He shook his head and rolled his neck. "Come on Nature Boy, get a hold of yourself. It's showtime!" he muttered as he walked into the door. "There my boys are! WOOOOO! Are you ready for tonight, big man?"

"You know it Natch," Hunter said with a grin. "Sit down, have a drink, relax a little." Hunter happened to look down at his watch. "Look, I've got to go over a few minor details. I'll be back in a few minutes." He quickly strode out the door without a glance back; Ric was there now, he knew what to do.

Ric looked at Batista while Batista looked at Ric. Each man was wondering what the other was actually thinking about the situation. Ric's smile slowly faded off of his face as he turned away from Dave and made a drink. He took a sip, noting his hand shaking a bit. He quickly downed the drink, poured another one, and sat down.

Batista knew something wasn't quite right with Ric. Ric had shut down the second Hunter walked out of the locker room. Something was bothering Ric and it was showing. He sat down across from Ric. "Hey man, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ric said with a small smile. "I didn't sleep too well last night. I'm just tired."

Batista looked at him and saw that Ric had spoken the truth. There were dark circles under his eyes and his eyes looked bloodshot. "Man, are you sure you don't need to lie down?"

"No, I'll be fine. I just need to go see Susie and let her cover up my long night," Ric said with a wink. He downed his drink and sat the glass on the table. "I'll be back in a few."

"Okay man," Batista said with his eyes narrowing on Ric as he walked out of the motel room. Something wasn't right and he couldn't put his fingers on it. It was something in Ric's eyes that made him wonder if he was having second thoughts about the whole thing.

He quickly stood up and paced while thinking. Ric didn't need to do this. The man was a legend in his own right. Why should he do anything to help Hunter? He stood there, staring at the glass that Ric had been drinking out of. He knew he had to do something, but what?

Randy walked down the hallway with a swagger in his step. Noticing Hunter come his way, he couldn't help but smirk at him. The big nosed dumb ass didn't have a clue that he was getting ready to come crashing down, face first, into rock hard cement.

Hunter's eyes narrowed, as he got closer to Randy. There was something in the kid's eyes tonight. A part of that was arrogance, which was nothing new, but there was something else. It was a look that Hunter had never seen before. Unable to stop himself, he asked, "What the hell has got you so happy?"

Randy looked at Hunter and smiled. He straightened out his jacket a bit, savoring in the fact that Hunter was dying to know and he wasn't going to tell him anything really. Well, actually it was better, cause he knew that Hunter was going down. "You know Hunter, I'm just happy that I am _not_ in Evolution any more. I'm just happy that, unlike you, I've got friends."

"Friends?" Hunter asked with a life. "You've got no friends here Orton."

"Oh really, well, maybe I don't. At least I don't have to listen to your ass whine, bitch, and moan about how you deserve to be the World Champion," Randy said with a wink. "See you around _loser_." After saying that, Randy quickly turned and walked back up the hall, whistling as he did.

"Little punk ass, I ought tobeat the shit out of him," Hunter said watching him walk down the hall, without a care in the world. He then smiled an evil smile. Orton would pay once he had Stephanie. Everything would be better when he had Stephanie. With that thought, he rushed off to find Vince.

"Okay so what do we do?" Christian asked with his arm around Trish. Chris had just told them that the Highlight Reel would be first. He just wanted to make sure that everything went as planned.

"Well, considering that you two are my guests, you will be with me," Chris said with a slight smile on his face. He knew that Christian was getting ready to panic and quickly held up his hand. "Don't worry; we've got it covered."

"Are you sure?" Trish asked with concern on her face. She wasn't expecting to have to be away from Stephanie. A little shiver of fear went up her back for just a second. Shaking it off, she listened to what Chris had to say.

"Randy and Dave are in with us. We've got everything covered," Chris said with a smirk. He winked at them and smiled. "Hell, we might even throw in a few surprises in there before we are done."

Christian looked at Chris and smiled. He knew what he was thinking and he totally agreed. "Well, if we can vote on a 'few surprises in there', I'm voting, 'Yes'," he said with a smirk.

"Just like I knew you would be my friend," Chris said holding his hand out and shaking Christian's hand. "Just like I knew you would be."

Shane was standing there quietly in the corner, watching as his father and Hunter were talking. He knew exactly what they were discussing, could hear every word, and had to smile. He made sure to get to his father's office about 15 minutes before the hour was scheduled.

Shane hadn't worked around his father all these years, without learning a few tricks of the trade. It always seemed to pay off big time by just keeping quiet. After seeing the long curtain in the corner, he couldn't help but smile. He had all the patience in the world, when it came to his baby sister.

"Okay, so you know you are sending Ric to her with a note, from me? I've already discussed that with him," Vince asked quietly.

"Yeah, you discussed it with me on the phone last night," Hunter said with a look of total confidence on his face. With Vince on one side and Stephanie on the other, he was going to rule the wrestling world. He would be on top at all times, just as he should be, and he just couldn't see how anything else could be any better.

"Don't forget to send out the note right after the Highlight Reel starts. With Trish and Christian as his guests tonight, Stephanie will be all alone," Vince said with a knowing look. He had everything planned out perfectly. Nothing could go wrong.

"Well, I had better get going," Hunter said standing up. He stuck out his hand and looked at Vince. He shook hands with him, firmly squeezing his hand in the process. "It's been an absolute pleasure working with you. I can't wait to learn more from you."

Maybe the future of the company was standing right there in front of him. Turning his head sideways, he couldn't help but think that this was the man to run his company. His son was so stupid that he couldn't even remember to keep an appointment. "You know, I can't wait to show you the ropes around here. I need somebody who can be firm with the talent, " He stood up and walked over beside of him. "You know, you could be the answer to my of my problems. You just might be what the WWE needs."

"Oh, I _know _I am Vince," Hunter said with a smug look. Finally, after all of this time, he would be on top of the mountain, just as he should be. Just as he should have been years ago, he knew there was nothing but good times ahead. "I've told you that time and time again thru the years just how damn good I am. Maybe now you will start believing it."

"Well, I've got to get out to the Gorilla position. Besides, we've got plenty of things to do and a short time to do it in." Vince said holding his arm out. "After you."

Hunter quickly turned and opened the door, turning back to Vince for just a second. "You won't be sorry."

"I have a feeling that you are right about that," Vince said following him out the door.

Shane stood there smiling while dialing Chris' cell phone. Putting the phone to his ear, he was actually humming. He couldn't wait to see this all explode in his father's face. He had an almost giddy tone to his voice. "Hey Chris, what are you doing?"

"Getting ready to head out to the ring. What's up with you?" Chris asked looking at Stephanie. He could tell from Shane's voice that he was in a really good mood. He knew something. Maybe it was the 'chirpy' factor in his voice.

"I just overhead a conversation between Hunter and my father. Vince is going to send a note for Stephanie to meet him, just to talk. Ric will be bringing it and it will be done during the Highlight Reel," Shane said in a sing-song like voice. Finally he was going to teach his father that one, he knew exactly what he was doing when it came to business. Two, he could do an even better job than he did. Three, he _was_ his son; he just had a heart.

"Okay, I've got to go make a quick call. Thanks Shane," Chris hung up the phone quickly. He knew he had only one way of throwing a monkey in the plans. Actually he had several but there was only one mind that came to mind. He called Randy.

"Talk to me," Randy said with a pounding heart. He knew it was Chris; there was only one reason why he would call him. He knew what time it was going to happen.

"I need for you to come to the dressing room and stay with Stephanie. Ric is going to bring her a note from her father, during the Highlight Reel," Chris said smiling at Stephanie. She was safe now. She had no clue how many traps and elements of surprise were out there helping them. He only wished he had the time to tell her all about it. "Trish and Christian will be on the show. Besides, I think that will be a nice little swerve on their plan."

"Element of surprise, I like it," Randy said with a cocky grin. It was time; time to play the game and whoop his ass. He was more than ready. Imaging how good it was going to be looking down on Hunter, he said smoothly, "I'm on my way."

Randy quickly turned and decided that now was a good time to call Dave. He quickly pressed his number and smiled. This was just what Dave needed to know. He now knew _exactly _what he could do to prevent this and _bury_ Hunter in the process.

"Hello," Dave said walking to the opposite side of the room as he answered his phone. There was anybody in the room with him but this way, if they did walk in, they wouldn't really hear him. "What's up?"

"Ric is supposed to be bringing Stephanie a note. She'll get it during the Highlight Reel cause Trish and Christian are on the show," Randy said with a smile.

"Sweet, I got your back," Dave said with a smile. He heard voices and quickly wrapped it up. "I've got to go." He quickly hung up the phone and put it in his jacket pocked before Hunter opened the door, followed by Ric.

"Hey big man, you ready?" Hunter asked with a grin and a swagger. He walked over to Dave with his chest stuck out so far that he looked like a peacock strutting his flowers. "Tonight is Evolution's night to _rule_ the wrestling world."

"Let's do it," Dave said slipping his glasses on. He knew that Hunter would think it was his cockiness rubbing off on him. Truth was he didn't know if he could hide the giddiness in his eyes. Hunter was finally going to get what was coming to him. The best part was that he didn't have a clue in the world what was getting ready to happen.

A/N: Man, I am so mean leaving it like this! LOL! Don't worry folks, it only gets better from here. I promise! Now, leave me a review.


	20. 20

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

Chapter 20

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Highlight Reel," Chris yelled out to his Jerichoholics. The crowd roaring its approval only seemed to make the cocky smile on his face get cockier. Then again, he had _a lot_ to feel cocky about. "Tonight, I have two very special guests. They are actually good friends of mine or rather, they _were_ good friends of mine."

Chris walked over to the corner of the ring listening to the crowd. He smirked as he recalled Trish turning on him at Wrestlemania XX. He knew that fans hadn't forgotten it either as they indicated with the loud boos and hisses. "It's okay. I'm okay with it. To be truthful," he said leaning on the turnbuckles and setting his chin on his fist, "she didn't really mean _that_ much to me anyway."

The crowd chuckled as Chris began walking around the ring. "You know, it never fails to amaze me how women can be _so fickle_ sometimes and let me tell you," he said stopping in the middle of the ring and arching his eyebrow, "you have _no idea_ how fickle _that woman_ can be. I should be _thanking_ him for taking her _off _of my hands."

Chris nodded his head at the crowd. They seemed to agree with him. He smiled and continued. "So without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen, Christian and Trish Stratus."

Christian and Trish strutted out to the top of the ramp. Christian smirked at Trish before grabbing her by the hair of the head. She smiled at him as he brutally brought his mouth down to ravish hers. Sucking face for a few seconds, he quickly jerked her head back by her hair and smiled, while watching her rub her lips with her fingers. She then rubbed his Intercontinental belt for a few seconds, with the same hand as if kissing it with her fingers. Smiling evil wicked smiles at each other, they began to strut down to the ring, taunting the crowd along the way.

Chris stood there watching two of his closest friends making complete and total _asses_ of themselves. It was okay though. He did it quite a bit himself. In the world of wrestling, there wasn't much that a wrestler wouldn't do to get a crowd's reaction. Besides, they were getting ready to give the performance of a lifetime; only thing was Christian and Trish didn't know it yet.

Trish entered the ring and waited for Christian while smirking at Chris. She loved being a bad girl and she was so good it. She picked up the microphone and smirked. "You know Chris, I think you are just a _little bit_ jealous of Christian. I mean, look at me." She held her hands out and slowly lowered them around her body. "Everybody would understand if you were. I mean; I _am_ hot."

Trish said looking at Christian and watching him shake his head in agreement. She looked out to the crowd saying, "I am hot," noting that most of the men were nodding their heads in agreement. She continued to turn saying that same thing to all the sides of the ring.

Chris had leaned against his chair with his hand covering his mouth. He tapped his fingers there quietly watching Trish do her thing. Christian held up his hand, moved his head from side to side, and took the microphone out of her hands. With a cocky smirk, he asked, "So tell me something _Chris_, what is _this_ all about?"

"What is this all about?" Chris asked with a smirk on his face. "In case you haven't noticed, that's my Intercontinental Title that you are wearing there _Junior_. I've got my rematch clause and I _am_ going to use it," he said with a heated look on his face. Just as fast as he put it his face, he quickly wiped it with an almost bored look. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm coming after what's mine. No big deal."

"Dude, it's not _yours _anymore, it's _my_ Intercontinental Title," Christian said with an almost scared look on his face. He loved working with Chris. He was just so much fun. "Besides, I _already_ have a match tonight and it's _not _with _you,_" he said with a nod of his head. Trish quickly walked over and patted him on the back, reassuring him that everything was okay. Taking a bit of confidence from his girlfriend, he smiled. "It doesn't matter. You aren't going to beat me. _You can't beat me_."

"Oh really?" Chris asked with an amused look on his face. He quickly got up nose to nose with him pushing him around the ring. "_I can_ _and I will_!" He pulled back and slapped Christian so hard that he fell flat on his ass. Christian looked up at him with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Chris winked at him before he jumped him and started punching him. Trish quickly jumped on Jericho's back trying to pull him off of her boyfriend. This was not part of the plan, or at least, the plan that they were told about. "What in the hell are you doing?" she whispered in his ear. "Have you lost your freaking mind?"

"No, I'm perfectly sane," Chris said while continuing to pound on Christian's head. He knew that he had thrown them for a loop and as mean as that was he meant to do it. He wanted it to look as real as possible. There was too much at stake. It wasn't that he didn't trust Trish and Christian; he trusted them with his life. He just had to do this his way.

"I don't know about that," Christian muttered between blows. He didn't know what the hell was going on. All he knew was that Chris was beating the crap out of his head. This wasn't part of the plan at all and he couldn't help but wonder if his best friend had lost his ever-freaking loving mind.

Quickly the referees in the locker room came out and broke it up. Chaos was amuck backstage as for some odd reason the sheets that were passed out were not correct. Everybody had been running around trying to figure out what was going on while Shane just sat back with a small smile on his face.

He stood up quickly as he watched Chris, Christian, and Trish walk thru the curtain. It was time for the sweetest revenge ever. He had talked to Randy and everything was going according to plan. With a nod of his head, he turned and motioned for them to follow him. Chris looked at Trish and grinned. "It's time to play the game."

Stephanie paced back and forth in the dressing room so fast and so frantic that Randy was getting a swimmy head just from watching her. To say that she was nervous would have been an understatement. "Uh Stephanie, maybe you should sit down or something."

"Sorry, nervous habit," Stephanie said with a slight smile. She sat down on the couch and leaned forward. She put her elbows on her knees and placed her chin on her fists. "I just wish this was over with."

"Don't worry, we've got everything covered," Randy said with small smile. He didn't know how he knew it but he knew in his gut that everything was going to be just fine. Friendships had been made and alliances formed; everything would be fine when the smoke cleared.

"I hope you are right," Stephanie said with small smile. She tried not being nervous; she really and truly did but it just wasn't working. Suddenly, with one knock on the door, nervous wasn't the word for it. An almost sick feeling seemed to attack her stomach and turn it into knots.

She looked up at Randy and he looked at her. It was time, time for this whole mess to end. Even though it had only been a few days since they had found out, it had seemed like a lot longer to her. She was tired of this game her father was playing with her. It was time to stop him. She quietly stood up and walked over to the door. Randy walked behind her quietly. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

"Hey Stephanie, how are you doing?" Ric asked with a nervous look on his face. His forehead was covered with a bit of sweat. He quickly wiped it with his handkerchief and quickly put it in his pocket. He then turned around to look at Dave. "I'm going in with her for a minute. You stay right here."

"No problem Ric. Whatever you want," Dave said quietly. He had a feeling that everything was getting ready to change in the next few moments. One of two things would happen. One, Ric could tell Stephanie what was going on or two; there was a secret plan that nobody else knew. He was banking on one but he could hand two, as long it was their secret plan and not Hunter's.

"Good," Ric said turning around to face Stephanie. Looking into her blue eyes, he couldn't believe that he had actually thought about kidnapping her. She was so young yet her eyes showed her wise beyond her years. Maybe he could get out of this mess before things went any further. "I need to speak to you privately."

"By all means, come in," Stephanie said with a small smile. Randy was behind the door so he couldn't be seen until she shut the door. She looked out at Dave. He smiled at her and winked before giving her a stony look. With a small wink of her own, she slowly shut the door.

Ric had walked in and sat down with his back to the door. He knew he couldn't go thru with it. He knew it the second he knocked on the door. He couldn't do this to her. It was time to stop the madness. "Look, I don't know how to tell you this but your father,"

"Is trying to kidnap me," Stephanie said interrupting Ric. She sat down across from him noting the look of surprise on his face. She smiled a sad smile at him. "I _am_ a McMahon remember? I think I've been in the family long enough to know just how dangerous he can be."

Ric looked at her and felt like it was all over. With a look of relief, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. He couldn't help but be proud of the young woman in front of him. He had known her almost all of life. "Man, I'm so glad that you know that. You don't know how glad I am that you know that."

"She isn't the only one that knows that," Randy said walking up beside of the group. He had been watching from the corner quietly glad to see Ric come to his senses. He noticed the shocked look on Ric's face and smirked. "Hey Ric, you look surprised to see me."

"Well Randy, I have to say that I am," Ric said with a shocked look on his face. He turned back to look at Stephanie but she was at the door letting Dave in. He noted the calm look on Dave's face. Suddenly everything seemed so clear. "You couldn't do it either."

"No, I couldn't," Dave said walking in front of him. "Look, Hunter is a _selfish bastard_ who doesn't _care_ about _anything or anybody_ other than the World Championship and himself. _Nothing else_ matters to him and _it never will_." His face took a hard look. He still couldn't believe that he helped Hunter on his quest for power. That was in past, this was the present. "I'm _done_ helping him. _You _should be too."

"But Dave, he's the #1 contender for the World Title," Ric said quietly. He turned to look at him with sad eyes. He knew that Dave wouldn't understand but he had to at least try to explain it to him. "You've never held that belt in your hands. You've never had that belt around your waist. You don't know what it feels like to be the champ. I've always been known as a winner."

"Damn it Ric, you _are_ a winner," Dave said pacing the floor in frustration. As much as he loved Ric, he would love to pop him upside the head one good time. Hunter had evidently done some mental damage to Ric as well. "You are a 16 time World Champion and some say, the greatest wrestler ever. You've proven yourself worthy. You don't need to make somebody else worthy, especially when they don't _respect_ _or deserve it_."

Ric looked at Dave with a smile. He always had a feeling that Dave was a good guy. Never could explain it but he always knew. He also understood exactly what Dave was saying. "You really are one of the good guys, aren't you?"

"It's hard but I try to be," Dave said with a small smile on his own. He could see the real happiness shining in Ric's eyes. It was time to finish playing the game once and for all. "What do you say? Are you with us?"

Ric looked the pleading eyes of Stephanie. He then turned and looked into Randy's eyes, seeing the steely determination there. He turned back to Dave noting the gleam in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm with you."

Hunter paced back and forth, waiting impatiently for Ric to bring Stephanie. He had the night off, which was all part of the plan. Nobody had seen him enter the closet. All he had to do was be patient, Dave and Ric would do their part. Tonight was the night that all of his dreams came true. Tonight was the night when he would finally own the wrestling world in palm of his hands.

He heard footsteps coming up the hall and grinned. "Right on time," he said smiling as he looked in his watch. "Damn, almost to the second. Damn shame I've got to get rid of you Dave. You were the best lapdog yet."

The doorknob turned and Hunter was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Finally everything that he had worked so hard for was finally coming together as his smile indicated. A smile on his face that quickly became a look of confusion when someone other than Dave or Ric walked in the door.

"Hello Hunter, long time no see," Benoit said with a smirk on his face. He walked in with the title around his waist, dressed ready for the ring. This had to be one of the best nights of his life. He was finally going to watch Hunter get paid back for every selfish deed that he had ever done. Tonight, the game was over. "I understand that you are waiting for somebody. I figured I would come and keep you company."

"Benoit, get the hell out of here. I'm meeting some very important business people," Hunter said quickly trying to get out of the mess he found himself in. The nervousness showed on his face. How in the hell Benoit knew he was in there was beyond him but if he could just get him to get out, he could still save what was left of the plan. "I'm serious, beat it."

"No, I don't think so," Benoit said noting the footsteps coming up the hall. He nodded his head at the door with a smirk. "I guess that would be who you are waiting for."

"You son of a bitch," Hunter said quickly rushing towards Benoit. The dumb son of a bitch was going to ruin everything. He pulled his hand back to punch him when the door flew open. He pulled his fist back, quickly smiling, until he noticed who was standing at the door. All the color in his face had quickly drained out.

"Hello Hunter, long time no see," Shawn Michaels said with a smirk. He walked over in front of him and smiled. He could see that he was totally dumfounded. He was glad that Shane had talked to him when he arrived at the arena. After hearing everything Hunter was planning, he knew he had to help them and he was going to enjoy it.

"What in the hell are you doing here Shawn?" Hunter asked once he got his bearings back. He had been expecting Stephanie, not Shawn. He didn't know what in the hell was going on. Something was not right with this picture. Nothing was going right and he couldn't understand it. Everything had been planned down to every last single detail.

"Oh, I don't know," Shawn said with a childlike expression on his face. He smirked and in a singsong voice replied, "I wanted to play the game." He stood in front of him staring him straight in the eyes. Hunter always hated the fact that he couldn't intimidate Shawn. Tonight he was going to use that to his advantage.

Hunter's eyes quickly showed his fear before anger showed in his eyes. Shawn was tough; there was no way he could deny that. But Shawn's back was shot all to hell. He didn't have what it took any more. "Don't blame me when you get hurt."

"You know, it's funny that you should say that," Shawn said with a slight smirk. He quickly pulled his right fist back and punched Hunter square on the jaw. Nickels fell on the ground out his feet. Shawn had taken no chances and had a roll of nickels in his hand when he hit him. He couldn't help but be satisfied that he had knocked him out cold.

"Damn it Shawn, you were supposed to save some of him for me," Benoit said with a slight whine to his voice. He walked over and looked down at Hunter who was lying on his back with his eyes shut and a nice goose bump showing in his jaw and lip. Grimacing, he said, "Ouch that's going to hurt for a while."

"Good, that's exactly what I wanted it to do," Shawn said with a grin on his face. He shook Benoit's hand and noted the scraps. "I've got to tell you man, that felt good. It hurts right now, but it felt damn good to hit him."

Vince sat his drink down on his desk trying to figure out what was going on. The schedules were not right, the crew had set up the cameras at the wrong places, and Linda had just called to him that she was on her way. He shook his head. Everything seemed to be coming apart at the seams. He never planned on Linda coming and was trying to think of something to continue with his plan while keeping a lid on everything.

He stood up quickly and walked towards the door. He needed to find out what in the hell was taking so long. They should have already been back with Stephanie. He opened the door to find his daughter standing there by herself.

"You wanted to see me daddy?" Stephanie asked quietly. She stood there quietly looking into the eyes of her father, the man that was her hero when she was a child. Looking at him now, she realized just how pathetic of a man he really was.

"Yes, yes I did," Vince said with a smile. He knew it was time to teach his daughter a very valuable lesson. He opened the door and held out his arm. "Come on in."

Stephanie walked in quickly noting that he looked down the hall both ways before shutting the door. She smiled to herself wishing she could tell him exactly what she wanted do. Her mind whispered, _"Patience Steph, you're almost there." _She quickly made sure that she didn't turn her back towards him.

"Why are you so jumpy Stephanie?" Vince asked with a sly look on his face. He took his hands and rubbed them slowly together, enjoying the feel of them as the blood was pulsing thru them with excitement. He could hardly wait to make Stephanie pay for all she had done. "Are you nervous?"

"You know dad, I'm not stupid," Stephanie said with a slight smirk on her face. Suddenly she felt as though Chris was watching her. Her slight smirk quickly became her bitch smirk. "You just _don't _get it, do you?"

"No, _you_ don't get it," Vince said stalking slowly up to his youngest noting that she wasn't backing away from him. He felt a bit of pride at that but knew she was weak just like Shane. It wouldn't take long to break her spirit. "_You_ betrayed your own father, _you_ have to pay."

"You know, it really sucks that it has come down to this," Stephanie said walking over to her father's desk. She took her finger and slowly walked around the desk touching the desk the whole time. "You know, I really loved you daddy."

"I've always loved you Princess, still do," Vince said with an innocent look on his face. He held out his hands and said, "Come here and give your daddy a hug."

Stephanie couldn't hide the look of disgust on her face. She knew that he was cold and manipulative but she had no idea how far gone he really was. "Dad, you've got to be kidding me, right? You want to kidnap me and I'm expected to hug you for that?"

"Why no, of course not," Vince said with a small smile. His baby girl had finally started showing some smarts. Too bad she couldn't have done it sooner. Maybe then he wouldn't have to teach her a lesson. "At least, not at first. Eventually you will understand everything and thank me for it."

"No daddy," Stephanie said with a smile. She stood there watching the puzzled look on his face. She decided to clarify her answer. "I'm not going any where."

"Sorry Stephanie but it's for your own good," Vince said with a grin. He quickly walked up to her and grabbed her arm. He pulled her in close and looked into her eyes noting once again that she wasn't afraid of him. "What's gotten into you?"

Suddenly the door opened and Vince turned to see his son and wife walking towards him. He quickly put his arm around Stephanie and grinned. "Look at this, my entire family together."

"Cut the crap dad," Shane said with a bored look on his face. He held out his hand for Stephanie. She looked up at her dad, with a smirk on her face, and grabbed Shane's hand. Shane pulled his sister to his side and then grabbed his mother's hand with the other. "You are done here dad. I'm taking over."

"You? You're taking over?" Vince asked with an incredulous look on his face. He suddenly started laughing. He had never heard anything as hilarious as that. Wiping his eyes, he smiled at his son. "That was a good joke son."

"It's not a joke dad. I'm dead serious. You are _done_ in the wrestling business or at least, _this_ _one_," Shane said with a smile. "Then again, there is a _no compete_ clause in your contract that I just might have to make you honor it."

"Look son, I don't know what in the hell you are thinking but it's not going to happen. I _bled_ for this company. I put _everything I owned _up for this company. I _am_ this company," Vince said with an evil look on his face. He had fought too long and too hard to get where he was and he would be damned before he would just roll over and let them have it. Oh no, if they wanted a fight, they just got one.

"No dad, _you_ are the company's _past_. _I_ am the company's present and future," Shane said with a grin. He squeezed his mother and Stephanie's hands before turning back to his father. "You are so done and you just don't even know it yet. That is sad, really sad. It's okay though. I've got a big announcement to make," Shane said looking down at his watch, "in about five minutes. Ladies, if you will accompany me. Dad, you just sit down."

The door opened and Dave walked in. With an evil grin, he walked right in front of Vince. The plan was coming together so smooth it was as if it was meant to happen. Dave couldn't help but feel a little giddy with excitement. "I suggest you have a seat Mr. McMahon, the show is just about to begin."

Shane held out his arm, indicating for Linda and Stephanie to go ahead, smiling as his mother and sister walked out the door. He turned back to his father. "You are going to be so proud of me dad. Maybe not right now, but you will one day." He winked at him and walked out the door.

Vince turned his attention back to Dave. He smiled an evil smile. He held this man's future in the palm of his hand. He was still the boss around here. By damn, he would have his respect. "Dave, I need to get out there."

Dave quickly grabbed Vince by the shoulders. He lifted him up off of his feet noting the shocked look on Vince's face. He quickly dumped him in the chair. He bent down and placed his hand one each side of the chair. He couldn't help but smile at the terrified look on his face. "You're not going anywhere."


	21. 21

Disclaimer: I absolutely positively own none of the characters used in this story. They belong to Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story; it is strictly fictional and strictly for fun!

A/N: First off, thanks to everybody for sticking around for so long with this story. The muses laid down on me for a while and I really wondered if they would ever get back on track. Thankfully they did and we are almost finished. This is officially the last chapter of this story. There will be an epilogue cause I just love those! LOL!  
Now, Queen Nina, this one is for you;-)

Hunter woke up with a start looking around. He was tied in a chair in the middle of the ring. The fans were pointing at him while he tried to figure out what in the hell was going on. His mind quickly flashed with Benoit and Shawn. His head hurt as he remembered Shawn hitting him. After that, his mind was a total and complete blank.

He quickly turned and looked, noting that nobody was there in the ring with him. The lights dimmed down and he noticed a few people walking out from the Titantron. The light was just on the ring and it was blinding him.

Here Comes the Money came blaring thru the arena. The fans quickly stood up excited about seeing Shane. It had been a pretty good while since they had seen him and it showed. When Shane walked up on the top stage, with his sister and mother behind him, the applause seemed to increase. He quickly held up his hand and put the microphone to his mouth.

"Thank you, thank you very much," Shane said with a smile. He held up his hand and then blushed as "Shane, Shane, Shane" was chanted through out the arena. With a smile, he listened for a few seconds before speaking again. "Okay guys, thank you very much but let's get down to business."

The crowd quieted down and Shane continued with a smile on his face. There was nothing like being around a live WWE crowd. He had almost forgotten what it felt like. Almost. "As you all know, I've not been seen much on WWE television. Oh I've been here, don't get me wrong. I've just not been _out here_. That's about to change," Shane said with a small grin. Tonight was the night that history was waiting for. It was time for change. "First off, let me introduce to you my mother, Linda McMahon, CEO of the WWE."

Linda walked over and smiled. She nodded her head at the crowd and took the microphone. She looked out at the ring and noticed Hunter trying to get anybody to help him. She felt no sympathy towards the man at all. He had asked for all he was getting and then some. "Hunter, if you are looking for somebody to help you, there's nobody down there that will. As a matter of fact, I don't think that there is _anybody_ in this company that would help you right now."

After the crowd laughed in agreement, she continued. "I'm not sure if you are aware of the changes that have come into effect for the WWE. As a matter of fact, this news was so big that we had to tell it immediately." She stood there with a small smile on her face. This was the moment that she had been waiting for. She owed her husband for the hell he had put her through during their entire marriage. He was getting what he deserved and then some, as well.

Stephanie walked up beside of her mother and whispered in her ear. She knew her mother was excited but she had something that she had to say to Hunter. Linda nodded her head in agreement and smiled. She handed the microphone to her youngest child.

The crowd roared with approval and she smiled, acknowledging their presence. She smiled and put the microphone up to her mouth. "You know Hunter, I don't know why you thought you would get away with everything but just to let you know, the game is _over_."

The crowd immediately began the chant, "The Game is Over, The Game is Over."

She couldn't help but join the crowd with the microphone. It felt so good hearing that ring throughout the arena. _"Life is just too sweet sometimes,"_ she thought to herself.

Hunter looked as if he could explode and she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. This moment was just way too sweet to keep quiet to the wrestling world. If the crowd only knew how true that statement was. She handed the microphone back to her mother.

"Yes Hunter, we are aware of your extra activities," Linda said with a sad look on her face. While her face conveyed sorrow, her heart was pounding with excitement. It was time for the devil and his helpers to pay their due. The note was due and she held it in her hands. "As a matter of fact, effective immediately, you are no longer employed by the WWE."

The crowd, electrified by the announcement, immediately began singing, "Na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye," over and over again. The electricity throughout the arena had all the fans on their feet, waving their hands in goodbye to the man that they despised more than anything in the wrestling world.

Hunter was livid. He didn't know what in the hell was going on but he knew Vince would get him out of it. He started laughing out loud. They couldn't fire him; they needed him too badly to do that. With a smirk on his face, he just looked at them like they were idiots. He knew Vince wouldn't let that happen to him. This was just the beginning of his fight, or so he thought.

Linda quickly handed the microphone to Shane. She stepped behind him to stand with Stephanie. She reached down and grabbed her daughter's hand with excitement. In the next few minutes, wrestling history would be made and she was so happy that she could burst.

Shane put the microphone to his mouth with a knowing look. It was time to make everybody's wishes come true. Nobody but his family knew the hell that Vince had put then thru over the years. This wasn't about revenge; it was about justice. "I know what you are thinking. You're thinking that my father will be helping you of this mess. My father can't help you." Shane then turned his attention to the Titantron.

Vince was shown sitting in a chair with fear on his face. He didn't know what in the hell was going on. The camera crew had come in a few minutes ago. He had tried to leave numerous times but finally gave up due to his fear of the large man beside of him. Dave was standing with a smirk on his face as well. Suddenly Ric Flair showed up and patted Dave on the shoulder. He then quickly stood on the other side of Vince.

Hunter's mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He could see Dave doing it but not Ric. Ric was on his side. Ric was always on his side. What in the hell was going on? The questions were in his eyes and shock was on his face. This was not the way things were supposed to go and he was trying desperately to figure out what had gone wrong and where. Turning his attention back to the screen, he noticed Dave smiling.

"Hey Hunter," Dave said with a little wave. "Remember me? Yeah, I'm sure you've got a lot of questions right now and they will all be answered very shortly. One thing that is for sure, Ric and I," Dave said looking over at Ric and winking at him while Ric did his trademark 'WOO' "are no longer a part of Evolution."

The crowd roared again with its approval. Hearing the fans was like music to Ric's ears. He knew then that he had done the right thing and he had the big guy to thank for it. He also knew that he was going to be calling his daughters after he was done with his work.

"_I made you_, you son of a bitch," Hunter said foaming at the mouth. He couldn't believe what was happening. Everything was going down the tubes quicker than he could deal with it. His mind raced with more questions, and still no answers. Nothing was making sense.

"No, _I made myself_, I just let you use me for a while," Dave said with a smile. The truth was, he felt like a new man. This was what he should have been doing all along. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders with a smile that was almost a smirk. "Wish I could tell you that I'm sorry that you were fired but you know, I'm not sorry." He then turned to Ric and the cameraman followed.

"Hunter, it took a real man to make me see what you were doing to me," Ric said with a look of gratitude on his face as he looked at Dave. He turned back to the camera. It was time to let him know exactly what he thought of him. "You are not a true world champion. You are a selfish bastard that never cared one second about anything or anybody but yourself. You are done here."

Vince looked as if he was going to throw up. He knew that something was not right. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong and in the worst way. The only problem was he knew the worst was yet to come. He knew that this was just the beginning. There was something big brewing and he felt that it would not be good for him.

Shane smiled at the men before turning his attention back to Hunter. It was time to get back to business. "Okay, before we go any further, we have a major announcement to make. Effective immediately, I am now the Chairman of the WWE. My father's stock has been transferred to my mother, giving her the majority rule. The board voted on it this afternoon."

The crowd roared with approval while Vince just shut his eyes. He didn't know how she did it but he would find out. She couldn't do this to him. It was his company. It had always been his company. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ric yelled, "Come in," and smiled when the orderlies walked into the room.

The orderlies walked in with their white uniforms on carrying a straightjacket. Vince quickly jumped to his feet, trying to figure out how to get away. Before he could get lose, Dave grabbed him by the arm and held him in place. The orderlies quickly slipped the straightjacket on him, thankful for Dave's help with the situation. They quickly led Vince out of the room while he yelled the entire time. "It's my company damn it! It's my company!"

"Life is good, isn't it?" Shane asked out to the crowd. He was brewing with excitement. He wasn't done yet. He had one more thing to do and the historic night would reach its climax. Looking over at the fans, he got goose bumps imaging how they would react to everything. "Now, as I was saying, I am the Chairman of the WWE. My father has been declared mentally incompetent and therefore, is going on a permanent vacation."

Chris walked out on stage and grabbed Stephanie's hand. She smiled when she turned to look at him. He winked at her and then turned his attention to Shane as Benoit and Shawn joined him on the front stage. Christian and Trish followed. They quickly walked over to the side that Benoit and Shawn were on. Stephanie, Linda, and Chris were standing across from them.

"Now, I have another important announcement to make. Now that my father is gone, I would like to introduce to you, the newest edition to the WWE family," Shane said with a smile on his face. This was the moment that he had been looking forward to tonight. This night would be the night that every fan would remember. It was the night that the fans got exactly what they wanted, for the first time in a long time.

The lights went out and the Titantron went black. The music began to play and it was unknown to the WWE fans. But the former WCW fans rose to their feet in excitement and hope. It had to be him; there was no other man that had ever came out to that music. Eyes flashing with excitement, they began a chant that had never been heard in WWE history.

The lights went out and the crowd hollered in frustration. It had to be him. They wouldn't be able to take it if it wasn't. The lights quickly came back on and the man that they had been waiting so long to see was standing there in the ring. Miracles did happen in the wrestling world and this was one of them. There, standing in the middle of a WWE ring, was the man called Sting.

The fans rose to their feet and screamed with approval. Linda and Shane smiled at each other while Stephanie clapped along with all of the WWE superstars who had quietly came out from the back with smiles on their faces. For once, everything felt right in the wrestling world.

It was a new beginning the WWE. It was the time for Shane to show the world what wrestling was all about. It was time for a new era in the world of wrestling and this was it.

Sting looked around at the fans and felt complete. In his long black coat and scorpion tights, he looked better than ever. The dark hair was still shoulder length; the face was still painted black and white, but this felt so different. It had been a long time since he had seen them and he had missed them. The roar of the crowd was deafening but Sting wouldn't have had it any other way. It showed how much they had missed him.

"Woooooooo," he hollered cupping his hands over his mouth. The crowd roared back and he smiled at them. The 'Sting' chant kept running thru the arenas bring tears to his eyes. If they only knew how much he had missed them. He quickly put the microphone up to his mouth and yelled, "It's Showtime Folks!"

The crowd roared in approval of his familiar saying. It was time for the Sting to play with the WWE. It was time for their dreams to finally become true. After the WCW purchase had been made by Vince, the WCW fans had always hoped Sting would be the one star that they would see. It took a while but now that wait was finally over.

"Well, I've been away for a while but man, it feels great to be here," Sting said walking around the ring. He finally stood in front of Hunter with a smile on his face. "You know, as much as I enjoyed your earlier work, you nothing but a shell of the wrestler that you used to be."

Hunter looked at him with a bored look on his face. He had had enough of this crap. If he really was fired, then why in the hell was he still there. He knew that they didn't mean it. He was just along for the ride. "You haven't wrestled in years; I'd beat your ass right here, right now."

"Oh really?" Sting asked with an amused look on his face. "You know, I don't think that you could but we'll never know since you have been fired."

"No, I have not been fired; I have been the money maker here for a long time," Hunter said with a bored look on his face. This really was getting old and he had had enough of the bullshit. "Look, just cut me lose. We'll have the match, I'll win, and then we can go home."

"Excuse me Sting," Linda said with a small smile. "I am sorry to interrupt but security is coming down there to remove Hunter from the building. If you would be as so kind to step aside for just a moment, I would be so grateful."

"Why certainly Mrs. McMahon," Sting said with a smile noticing the security people coming from the backstage area. He smiled at Hunter watching the realization in his eyes become clearer. "I think you _are_ fired Hunter."

Hunter sat there with several emotions flashing in his eyes. Shock, fear, and anger were the emotions that flashed quickly in his eyes. If they thought he was leaving quietly, they were in for a big shock.

Security entered the ring and quickly surrounded Hunter. After untying him from the chair, Hunter quickly picked the chair up. He used the chair to hold security back. He wasn't going anywhere. He jabbed the chair at the security guard that took a run at him and then raised the chair up to bring it crashing down. The only problem was that he couldn't move the chair.

He quickly turned around and saw Sting smile at him. Sting quickly kicked him in the stomach, effectively knocking the chair out of Hunter's hands. He gave him a high knee and smiled as the blood began to trickle out of the side of Hunter's mouth. He quickly pushed him into the corner.

The crowd screamed in approval as Sting gave Hunter a Stinger Splash. Hunter looked at him with a dumbfounded look, before falling face first to the mat. Sting nodded his head at security and they quickly got him out of the ring. He had always wanted to do that and was thankful that he got the opportunity to shut the game up. He walked to the corner and picked up the microphone. "A lot of you may or may not know this, but Shane and I have been good friends for a long time."

Stephanie's eyes flashed to her brother's face noting the look of satisfaction on his face. She shook her head and then looked at her mother. She held the same questioning look in her eyes as she looked over at her son. Shane just winked at them and then turned his attention back to the man in the ring.

"A few years ago, I told Shane that if he ever got control of the company, I would be more than honored to come to work for the WWE. I know the product will be bigger and better than ever with Shane here along with Linda and Stephanie. They are really good people and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to work with them," Sting said with a smile.

Shane held the microphone up to his mouth. "May I say that we are extremely happy that you are here in the WWE. You've always been one of the greatest stars that WCW ever produced and I'm more than proud to finally have you as part of the WWE family. Welcome home Sting."

Sting nodded his head at Shane and smiled. He dropped the microphone and quickly went to each one of the corners. He stood on them for a few seconds before moving onto the next one. He then proceeded to walk up the ramp with Shane meeting him in the middle.

"Well Shane, we did it," Stinger said with a slight smile. He held out his hand and felt Shane's hand in his. They shook hands and then Shane held up Sting's hand in victory. It was a new beginning for the WWE with all kind of possibilities.

Chris looked at Stephanie and smiled. She grabbed his hand and pulled him backstage. He followed with an almost comical look on his face. She finally found a corner and pushed him into it with a smile.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked with an amused look on her face.

Stephanie never said a word. She just quietly walked towards him. She leaned up and kissed him softly. She pulled back and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm just having a moment with my boyfriend, is that okay?"

"Baby, you can have as many moments with your boyfriend as you want," Chris said wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her softly on the top of the head. "You know, I think it's only going to get better from here."

"You know what," Stephanie said with a smile. "I think you are right."


	22. Epilogue

Disclaimer: The characters are owned by Vince McMahon, the WWE, or themselves. No profit is made from this story as it was written strictly for entertainment purposes!

A/N: After over a year of writer's block, the muses have finally returned! I have to send a special "Thank you" to Jodi for the picture that inspired the muses to come back. I also have to give a big shout out to Nina, the Queen of the Smoochy Dreamers. I hope you all enjoy the end to A Long Time Coming and sorry that it took so long.

One Year After Sting's Debut in the WWE:

Chris entered Antonio's with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He had had this planned for months now and had slowly begun to run out of patience. Being with Stephanie made him feel whole and he never intended to be without her. Tonight, he was going to ask her to be his wife and everything had to be perfect. As he looked around, it looked as it it was just that.

The room was covered in a rainbow of colored roses. Everything from peach to yellow with red tips to light purple and other unique and expensive colors adorned every table in the restaurant. The lighting was low as it made it seem more intimate and fairytale like. Looking around, he couldn't help but smile at what he pictured Stephanie's face to look like when she walked in the room.

Antonio smiled as he walked from the back. He had heard the door open and found Chris standing there. He had been eagerly awaiting this night as well. Chris was one of his dearest friends and he had finally found the perfect woman for him. There wasn't anybody in this world that was happier for Chris than he was.

"Well, is this what you wanted my friend?" Antonio asked with a sly smile on his face. This was what Chris had told him he wanted word for word. It couldn't have been more perfect if it had to be and he knew it.

"You know that it is," Chris said looking around the room. He walked up to him with a smile. After quickly hugging Antonio, he pulled back. "So you have everything prepared just the way I wanted?"

"But of course," Antonio said with a slight smile. "Come this way and I'll show you to your table."

Stephanie walked out of the motel with a silly grin on her face. She couldn't help it. Being in love with Chris was like walking on air for her and she actually felt as though she could fly. She laughed out loud as she opened the car door. She was meeting Chris at the first place that they had actually had a date. Well, it didn't exactly start out as a date; it was just two friends going out for a meal together but it sure had ended that way.

She turned the car on and backed out of the her parking space. As she made the short drive over there, she couldn't help but think of how different everything in her life was at that moment. Her father had been committed immediately after the show where Sting debuted and the doctors were not too sure that he would ever be released from the mental hospital. He had started taking on wrestling personas such as the Macho Man and Hulk Hogan, alternating between the two, seeming to have a conversation with himself. It truly would have been funny had it not been so sad.

Shane and Linda were running the show and loving everything minute of it. The ratings were higher than they had ever been thanks to the return of Sting. There was also a sense of making wrestling a more 'family-friendly' atmosphere that seemed to take the weight off of everybody's shoulders. Yes, things were certainly looking brighterthan ever for the WWE and evenbetter for the couples backstage.

Trish and Christian had just eloped in Las Vegas just a few weeks before. Nobody knew that they were doing it until they got back, which was just the way they wanted it. They didn't need a big fancy wedding; they just needed each other and felt that eloping was the perfect way to shout it to the world. Lilian and Benoit were still dating and very much in love. Everybody knew it was only a matter of time before Benoit proposed to Lilian; the only regret that they had was that they hadn't started dating sooner.

She pulled into the parking lot with a mystified look on her face. She didn't see Chris's rental car. Looking around, she noticed that there weren't any vehicles in the parking lot. She suddenly felt as though something wasn't right. She looked around for a few seconds before cautiously walking towards the door. Right before she stepped on the first step, Chris opened the restaurant door and walked out.

"Hey beautiful," Chris said with a slight smile on his face. He could see that she was relived to see him and couldn't help but smile. _"If she only knew," _he thought to himself.

"Hey sexy," Stephanie said with a smile. She walked up to him and kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled back with a serious look on her face. He had that 'I know something you don't know' look on his face. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was up to something. She couldn't resist asking, "What are you up to Jericho?"

"Who me? Why, nothing at all, Princess," Chris said with a smirk. He held out his arm with a mysterious smile and a twinkle in his eyes. "Shall we?"

"Most certainly," Stephanie said with a soft smile while placing her hand on his arm. There was just something about the way that he looked at her that made her feel all fuzzy and warm inside. She couldn't have refused him even if she wanted to though she would have never in a million years admit that to him.

Chris opened the door and smiled. "Do you trust me Princess?" he asked with a soft smile on his face.

"With my life," Stephanie whispered, her love for him shining in her eyes for the world to see.

"Close your eyes," Chris whispered before bending down to kiss her softly on the lips. He wanted this night to be the best of night of their lives and knew deep down inside that it would be. He had handled every minor detail down to the place setting and music. Tonight was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

Stephanie's breath got caught in her throat by the softness in his kiss. He never ceased to amaze her time and time again and this was no exception. She stood there with her eyes closed showing him beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much she trusted him.

He reached down and grabbed her hand. "Step up," he whispered still amazed at how beautiful she was. He had spent more time staring at her face than he had anything in his entire life. There wasn't anything more beautiful on this earth to him than she was. She was everything to him and tonight, he was going to prove it to her.

Stephanie stepped up with her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure why she was so excited and nervous both at the same time. She just had a feeling that tonight was going to be a night to remember. She stood there wishing he would let her open her eyes and see what it was he was hiding.

Chris kissed her softly on the cheek and whispered, "Open your eyes." He then stood back and watched her reaction to the restaurant. This was the moment that he had been waiting for and he was memorizing every detail.

Stephanie opened her eyes and gasped. "Oh Chris," she whispered as she slowly walked around the restaurant taking everything in. She could help but smell the roses that seemed to be everywhere in the restaurant. The candles lit on each and every table seemed to make the roses alive and breathing with excitement. She walked up to the bar noting that every few inches was a single rose of a different color in a crystal vase lined up all the way across. She closed her eyes and leaned in smelling the peach rose noting that it was the most fragrant rose that she had ever smelled in her life.

Chris stood there stunned and amazed at the look on her face. She seemed to be in awe and when she leaned in to smell the peach rose, she looked like she had just smelled what heaven smelled like. He had never seen her this way before and knew that tonight was going to be extra special.

Stephanie quickly turned around and smiled. "Is all of this for me?" she asked wondering how he pulled all of this off without her finding out. She knew that he must have worked terribly hard to keep it a secret because Chris wasn't known for keeping a secret.

"Every bit of it," Chris said opening his arms. Stephanie flew into them and he held her tight. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "I want tonight to be the night that you remember always."

"Every night that I am with you is a night to remember," Stephanie whispered back before reaching up to kiss him softly on the lips, hoping that her lips were half as soft as his. She then laid her head on his shoulder noting the soft violin music in the background.

"May I have this dance?" Chris whispered.

"Yes," Stephanie whispered back while placing her hands up around his shoulders. Feeling his arms going around her waist sent chills up and down her spine just like they always did. She placed her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes.

Chris and Stephanie danced as if they were the only two people in the world. The world could have come to an end at that precise moment and neither one of them would have noticed. Swaying softly back and forth to the music, they seemed lost in time and each other.

The music softly ended and the two looked at each other with little secret smiles on their faces. It didn't matter that they were standing in the middle of a restaurant. It didn't matter that there wasn't anybody there in the restaurant with them. The only thing that mattered at that moment was the fact that they were together and very much in love.

"I think it's time to eat," Chris said softly before gently kissing her on the nose. "Come on Princess, Antonio made your favorite."

He led her over to the table and noticed the two hearts etched onto the one plate entwined together with a rose in the middle. Antonio had really outdone himself this time and there wasn't anybody more grateful for that then Chris was at that moment. He had asked for the most romantic plate that could be found and believed that it was sitting right there on the table. He wasn't going to eat out of the plate; it was just there as a little detail that he wanted Stephanie to remember. Ever the gentleman, he pulled out Stephanie's chair and seated her before sitting down himself.

Stephanie sat there with her fingers running over the hearts on the crystal plate. She could feel the groves and etches with her fingers and was amazed at how much detail was used in making them. She looked up at Chris to find him looking at her with a kind of stunned look on his face. "What is it? Do I have lipstick on my teeth?" she said wondering why he was looking at her so strangely.

"I've never seen you look more beautiful than you do at this moment," Chris said quietly with an intense look on his face. It was all that he could do to keep from getting the ring out of his pocket and asking her right then and there the question that was burning a whole into his gut. _"Patience," _he thought to himself. He quickly smiled his boyish grin. "I think it's time that we ate."

Antonio had been waiting for Chris to say that. He quickly motioned the waiter to bring the salad to the table. He already had the wine on the table for Chris to pour. He also had only made one entree' at Chris's request.

The waiter quickly brought out one salad with two forks. He set them down on the table with a smile and quickly disappeared as to not disturb the special moment for Antonio's guests. He had worked there for a very long time and knew that this was the first time that the restaurant had been closed to the public. Something very special was going on and he wasn't about to spoil it.

Stephanie watched in fascination as Chris poured the Italian dressing on the salad. She also immediately noticed that there were two forks which must mean that they were supposed to share the salad. She didn'tmind sharing with Chris but it did seem a bit odd that they were doing that.

Chris looked at Stephanie with a slight grin on his face. He shrugged his shoulders and handed her a fork. As if reading her mind, he said, "I did say that I wanted to 'share' a meal with you, didn't I?"

Stephanie sat there for a second remembering that those were almost the exact words that he used when he had called her on the phone earlier. "Yes, now that you mention it, I do remember you saying that but I didn't really think that you meant it literally." She picked up her fork and mixed up the salad to get the dressing everywhere that she could. She quickly stabbed a few pieces and held them up to Chris's mouth. "Then by all, let's share a meal."

Chris opened his mouth and took the bite that Stephanie offered him. While he knew it tasted excellent as always, he didn't really notice the taste. All he saw was her face smiling at him as he chewed the salad. He quickly reached down with his fork and did the same for her.

She opened her mouth and eased her lips over the fork almost giving Chris a heart attack with the look on pure pleasure on her face. He had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed the food at Antonio's and once again, found himself fighting a major battle to stay sitting along with trying to keep the ring in his pocket to the right moment. All is could think about was how much he loved her and how much wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

They each took turns feeding each other the salad without taking their eyes off of each other. They really were the only two people in the world at that moment and they both liked it that way. Once the salad was finished, Chris reached over and grabbed the wine bottle. He poured it into the one glass on the table and offered it to Stephanie first.

She placed her hand on his and took a soft sip on the wine. It seemed to explode on her lips with flavor. She knew from the taste that it was Antonio's special wine that he seemed to only bring out for her and Chris. In all the times that she had been there to eat, which had been quite a few in the last year, she had never seen anybody else drink Antonio's wine but them. Chris set the wine down and she picked it up, "We're still sharing."

"Yes, we most certainly are," Chris said placing his hand on hers the same way that she had done him. He took a long sip enjoying the flavor. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the waiter had already grabbed the salad plate and was setting down the chicken parmesan on the table. With a wink, a slight nod ofhis head, and a small smile, he quickly disappeared back into the kitchen without a sound.

Stephanie looked down and noticed the one entree. She smiled a soft smile and sighed, "That smells heavenly. Do we have to share it?" she asked with a slight pout on her face.

Chris burst out laughing at the pout on her face. "Yes sweetheart, you have to share. I promise you that next time, we'll get you your own." He picked up the fork again, cutting a piece of the chicken and then twirling the spaghetti on top of it, offered it to Stephanie first.

She opened her mouth and groaned as she put it in her mouth. Nobody made it like Antonio and it never ceased to amaze her how it seemed like it got better and better each time they ate there. She never ordered anything else despite Chris and Antonio both trying to talk her into it. This was her most favorite dish and her most favorite restaurant. She didn't care how good anything else was on the menu.

Chris shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable. He had a flashback to the first time they had ate there and grinned. She loved eating there with a passion and she showed it every time she took a bite of food. He put his fork down and then waited for her to feed him.

She chewed her food slowly enjoying the flavor and noticed Chris had put his fork down with a slight grin on his face. She quickly cut a piece of chicken and using the same exact method, fed him a bite noticing how hungry his eyes looked. She blushed just a little because she had seen that look on his face before but not while they were eating.

They took turns feeding each other slowly and sipping the wine. Each bite was slowly chewed and enjoyed in silence. Somehow at that moment, they didn't need to speak. Their eyes were telling each other just how much they loved each other and they basked in the happiness that they felt at that moment. Suddenly the plate was empty but it didn't seem to bother either one of them. They were too busy staring at each other.

Chris looked down and smiled, "Looks like the meal is over."

Stephanie looked down and grinned, "I guess we are done eating unless you would like dessert?"

"No, I have everything sweet in life right here," Chris said with a wink. He noticed the violin playing again softly in the background knew that now was the time. He knew Stephanie would say something and waited for her to speak before he asked her to be his wife.

"You are just too sweet," Stephanie said with a smile. She couldn't help but smile; she was so happy. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she was this happy and hoped that Chris was half as happy with her as she was with him.

Chris reached over and grabbed her hand. With all the love he felt for her shining in his eyes, he spoke.

"We've been together for over a year now and I've never been more happier in my entire life. You are everything that I could hope for in a woman and I don't ever want to lose you. You are the light of my life and without you, my life would be completely covered in darkness."

He reached into his pocket and held the ring box in his hand. He had never been this nervous before and a slight bead of sweat had formed on his forehead. He then opened the box, without Stephanie seeing it, and quietly got down on one knee.

Stephanie's heart dropped when she saw him dropping down to one knee. While she had dreamed of this moment for quite a while now, she never believed that it would actually happen. Sure, they had talked about getting married and she wanted it more than anything but she had never thought it would be this soon, not that it was too soon; it just wasn't expected.

He held the ring box up and noticed the tears forming in her eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life sharing it with you. You are the reason that I get up each morning and the reason that I breathe each day. You are my world, my universe, my everything. I want you to be by my side for all the good and for all the bad that life has to offer. Stephanie Marie McMahon, will you marry me?" he asked wishing he could read her mind.

Stephanie looked at the two carat diamond ring with a small ruby on each side. She smiled with tears falling down her face. She placed her hand on the ring box and laughed out loud. "Yes, I will marry you."

Chris took the ring out of the box and placed it on the third finger of her left hand. He then lifted her hand up and kissed it softly. He looked at her solemly and said, "I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life making you happy, taking care of you, and loving you."

"I know," Stephanie said placing her hand on his face. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. "There is no other man on earth I would rather marry than you. You are the love of my life and I can't live with you."

Chris reached up and placed his hand on her cheek loving the way she seemed to lean into him so trustingly and lovingly. "I love you so much it hurts." He then slowly placed his lips on hers and let the rest of the room fade away. As far as he was concerned, he and Stephanie were the only two people in the room even though that wasn't exactly true.

Antonio stood there peaking out of the kitchen door with tears in his eyes. He had just watched the most amazing story of love right before his very eyes. He knew that the first time he met Stephanie that she was the one for Chris. He had never doubted it for a second. He silently shut the door and patted the waiter on the back with a sigh, "That my friend, is amore'."

The End


End file.
